A new species of wasp has been discovered in America, and it seems to channel some of the well-known features of the xenomorph from the popular Alien sci-fi franchise. How exactly do these horror wasps channel those terrifying creatures from outer space, you ask? Well, it lays its eggs inside of living flies, and then when they hatch, they actually burst out of the host’s abdomen, just like the Alien’s offspring in the movies.
The wasp and its unique birthing system are so terrifying that researchers didn’t believe it could actually be real at first. According to the lead author of a new study published on the wasps, the scientists were initially in disbelief. However, upon further digging, they found that the female of the species uses her“stinger” to deposit the eggs into the abdomen of a fruit fly.
Thanks @NaturePodcast for having me on! We talked about a new #braconid wasp species that uses adult Drosophila flies as its host. Fly lovers be warned, this timelapse of #parasitoid wasp larval emergence is in #natureismetal territory. Link to the episode below. pic.twitter.com/Afnb4NSMcT
— Matt Ballinger (@spirophasma) September 14, 2024
If the idea of a baby horror wasp erupting out of a fruit fly’s stomach isn’t terrifying enough, though, the researchers say that the fly will normally remain alive for several hours after the fact. There is one silver lining here, though. See, fruit flies are naturally difficult to kill and get rid of because of their ability to breed in things like drains, garbage disposals, and even empty bottles.
So, while these wasps might seem terrible, they’re actually doing something really good—helping to control the population of fruit flies throughout the United States. Of course, the idea of a fruit fly’s abdomen erupting as a baby wasp comes crawling out isn’t exactly one that I want to keep replaying in my head. Though it is nice to know that these little wasps are just as helpful and important as stinging wasps are.
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The researchers believe the horror wasp has gone undiscovered for so long because of its unique nature. Nobody was expecting a wasp that infects the adult stage of fruit flies—or even flies in general. As such, nobody was looking for this. But now we’ve found it, and it is unlikely we’ll ever be able to forget it.
The post Oh good, a new species of ‘horror wasp’ is invading the US appeared first on BGR.
