Like the doomed crew of the starship Nostromos with its alien predator lurking in the air ducts, death is now inevitable. When newly hatched, the parasites start to eat. The caterpillar starts to twitch. The larva first eats the non-essential body parts of the helpless caterpillar, starting with the soft tissues. The victim must be kept alive as long as possible.
Dead hosts provide less nourishment.
It then munches on the digestive organs. The caterpillar starts to wiggle. The ichneumon larva finally consumes the heart and nervous system of its host. The caterpillar does a dance of death. This is a full serving of nature.