Species Insects & ArthropodsEmerald Cockroach Wasp

Emerald Cockroach Wasp

Ampulex compressa

RareInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Emerald Cockroach Wasp (Ampulex compressa)

The Emerald Cockroach Wasp is a jewel-like metallic green wasp famous for performing neurosurgery on cockroaches: it injects venom with precision into specific brain regions to produce a docile 'zombie cockroach' it then leads by the antennae to its burrow as live food for its larvae. This remarkable predatory strategy has made it a subject of extensive neurobiological research.

Habitat
Tropical and subtropical humid forests and gardens
Diet
Adults: nectar. Larvae: living zombie cockroach host
How common
Rare

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