Emerald Cockroach Wasp

December 6th, 2009  |  1 Comment

Emerald cockroach wasp : This is grisly and awesome, all at the same time.  The elaborate way this wasp kills a cockroach in which to have a place to lay its eggs is epic.

The wasp proceeds to chew off half of each of the roach’s antennae. Researchers believe that the wasp chews off the antenna to replenish fluids or possibly to regulate the amount of venom because too much could kill and too little would let the victim recover before the larva has grown. The wasp, which is too small to carry the roach, then leads the victim to the wasp’s burrow, by pulling one of the roach’s antennae in a manner similar to a leash. Once they reach the burrow, the wasp lays a white egg, about 2 mm long, on the roach’s abdomen. It then exits and proceeds to fill in the burrow entrance with pebbles, more to keep other predators out than to keep the roach in.

Responses

  1. Dave says:

    December 13th, 2009 at 12:20 am (#)

    Sounds like the Cicada Killer Wasps that I’ve seen in our back yard. Creepy bugs.

    http://www.davintosh.com/2009/08/20/the-cicada-killer-wasp/