The emerald jewel wasp is a cockroach’s worst nightmare

March 6, 2021 2:20 PM

The parasitoid emerald jewel wasp, Ampulex compressa, makes zombies (and worse) out of the American cockroach.
posted by ShooBoo (21 comments total)

After living in Austin for 4 years, I’m kind of on team wasp, although cockroaches are kind of pretty when they are in the trees, where they are intended to be.
posted by GenjiandProust at 2:54 PM on March 6, 2021

zombies (and worse)

Oh No! Not ... Republicans?!
posted by Saxon Kane at 3:33 PM on March 6, 2021 [16 favorites]

Why, I can make a hat or a brooch or a pterodactyl...
posted by nevercalm at 3:36 PM on March 6, 2021 [11 favorites]

Evolution is crazy...
posted by Windopaene at 4:51 PM on March 6, 2021

Fascinating. Thanks!
posted by SoberHighland at 5:13 PM on March 6, 2021

I got halfway through that article and noped instantly out. Never thought I'd have sympathy for cockroaches, but misson achieved right there.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 5:46 PM on March 6, 2021 [2 favorites]

Good thing I didn’t know of such creatures back in the days of my somewhat misspent youth, ‘cause it would’ve triggered at least one serious freakout. Dang.
posted by kinnakeet at 5:46 PM on March 6, 2021

Do they sell these wasps for natural pest control? Where can I get some?
posted by Anne Neville at 6:01 PM on March 6, 2021

Q: Are you on team Emerald Jewel, or on team ... cockroach?

A: Well, that decision's easy!
posted by Joe in Australia at 6:14 PM on March 6, 2021 [2 favorites]

BRAAAAIINSSS--er, I mean, legs
posted by thomas j wise at 6:31 PM on March 6, 2021

They are kind of pretty.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 7:32 PM on March 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

My emerald jewels have never bothered any of my cockroaches.
posted by The Potate at 7:53 PM on March 6, 2021

I've never seen one of these in the flesh but I have seen a hatchet wasp here in Austin, which is tiny and delicate and kind of cute for a wasp, and parasitic on roach egg cases rather than the adults, admittedly without the whole exciting paralysis and chest busting sequence. But just the fact that there are multiple parasitic roach-destroying wasp species makes me both glad but also kinda disturbed that there are several hyper specialized roach predators out there making no apparent dent in the roach population.
posted by slow graffiti at 8:02 PM on March 6, 2021 [1 favorite]

The one time I've seen an emerald jewel wasp was in Hawaii as it was pulling its cockroach victim along. According to Wikipedia: A. compressa was introduced to Hawaii by F.X. Williams in 1941 as a method of biocontrol. This has been unsuccessful because of the territorial tendencies of the wasp, and the small scale on which they hunt.
posted by ShooBoo at 10:00 PM on March 6, 2021

Wasps with radioactive venom, what could possibly go wrong?
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 11:14 PM on March 6, 2021

Wasps with radioactive venom, what could possibly go wrong?

I think you mean “what could be totally awesome?” I mean, that's your superhero origin story, right there.

Except since they only bite cockroaches I guess our hero's name will have to be Gregor.
posted by Joe in Australia at 1:53 AM on March 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Emerald Wasp Boy will get very odd urges while fighting Dr. Cockroach.
posted by benzenedream at 6:29 PM on March 7, 2021

I see your emerald wasp and raise you one tarantula hawk...

Also, speaking of truly weird parasites, click if you dare (cw: tongue-eating lice).
posted by kleinsteradikaleminderheit at 4:17 AM on March 8, 2021

Oh man, parasitoid wasps are fascinating! There are literally hundreds of thousands of different species of them. Each species is specalized at attacking specific hosts, mainly insects.

One small claim to fame I have is being a co-author of a paper on the discovery of a new parasitoid wasp species. As might be guessed by what I noted above, this happens all the time. My contribution was actually minimal: preparing traps and then sorting out the victims later to remove known species. Then someone like Kees swoops in and tells you we have a new species.

If you want to make your mark in entomology and get the chance to name a new species, parasitoid wasps is definitely a way to go. There's still a lot to learn about them too.
posted by vacapinta at 8:32 AM on March 8, 2021 [4 favorites]

If you like this kind of thing, or hate this kind of thing, I remember Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer being a really enjoyable read.

And if you like other crazy solutions that evolutions finds, Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation by Olivia Judson is also a great read.
posted by Dr. Curare at 9:02 AM on March 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

I like this sort of thing! In addition to Dr. Curare's excellent suggestions, I recommend Matt Simon's "Plight of The Living Dead" (Google Books link) is a well-written book on parasitism, and includes chapters on various insects.
posted by lasagnaboy at 1:25 PM on March 8, 2021