These egg cases were on one of my cauliflower plants. Any ideas? Bad or good?
Insect ID help please
Wow. Lucky you: those are parasitic wasp cocoons!
Quoting:
Cotesia (=Apanteles) glomerata is a braconid wasp that develops within the larvae of the imported cabbageworm. The adults are black, 3 mm (1/8 inch) long, and feed on nectar of flowers and juice of cabbage leaves. Females "sting" small caterpillars, generally first instars, to lay eggs inside the host larvae. Numerous wasp larvae (16-52) develop within each caterpillar. The caterpillar continues its own development until the wasp larvae emerge from its body to spin their cocoons in a group. The mass of yellow to orange cocoons is often mistaken for insect eggs.
Let 'em be, and you'll get more of those friendly little wasps that prey on the hated cabbage worm. Which is very nice to have!
http://www.entomology.wisc.edu/mbcn/kyf303.html
Thank you. I was about to give up on an ID. They hatched out while I was waiting for an answer. I'll look for some more.
You're welcome. And you were a good sport to let them be. Alotta gardeners are kill first & ask questions later.
I've read alot about the braconid wasps, but rarely see any pictures of them in the real world. (Besides the cocoons hanging off the hornworms.) So thanks for posting that~