About Netelia producta (Brulle, 1846)
Netelia producta is a member of the genus Netelia found in Australia, where the genus includes around 9 described species and 11 undescribed species. Like most species in this genus, N. producta is uniformly orange-brown in color. Reliable separation of N. producta from closely related species in the same genus can only be done by examining a specific structure on the clasper of male genitalia. N. producta is endemic to Australia. It is a koinobiont larval parasitoid of Noctuidae caterpillars. One of its known host genera is Helicoverpa, which includes Helicoverpa armigera, a pest of crops such as tomatoes. To reproduce, the female N. producta envenomates the host caterpillar to paralyze it, then lays an egg behind the host's head capsule. When the egg hatches, the parasitoid larva feeds on the living host while the host continues to develop. The larva emerges once the host reaches the prepupal stage, a process that kills the host. After emerging, the larva spins its own black silk cocoon, then pupates inside the subterranean pupation chamber that the host created.
