You hear the term “zombie wasp” and think “That’s awful! Why is it worse?” Because it’s a misnomer! The zombie wasp, Ampulex dementor, does not, in fact, turn cockroaches into zombies. It’s worse. So much worse.
Here’s the deal: The dementor wasp, discovered by the World Wildlife Fund and named after the Harry Potter wraiths, targets its prey the cockroach, swoops in for the sting, and hits it with venom. The venom in question blocks octopamine receptors. In humans, this is no big deal; basically, if you take MAOIs, they’ll stop working. Yes, nature has created a wasp that can defeat your depression meds.
Cockroaches, though, need octopamine to move. So, essentially, the venom doesn’t actually paralyze the roach; it’s capable of independent movement, its tiny roach brain just can’t control its legs. Once the wasp sees the venom is working, it drags the roach off to be eaten alive. Yep, it’s just going to lie there and be ripped apart, feeling it all and unable to do anything about it. It’s a wasp straight out of Harlan Ellison’s worst nightmares.
The good news is that the dementor wasp, and we’ll note that name was chosen by zoo visitors, is only found in Thailand and has little interest in attacking humans unless they tick it off. With that name and how it eats, somehow we suspect it won’t have to worry about humans staying clear.
(Via World Wildlife Fund)
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