What is it about?
This is an illustrated overview of the parasitisation of sewer cockroaches by the aggressive jewel wasp, Ampulex compressa. We detailed how these wasps abuse cockroaches by poisoning their brains, amputating their antennae, drinking their blood, and burying them alive with a carnivorous larva attached. However the roaches are no passive sheep: they attempt to evade the wasps and some will fight back if given a chance. Larger cockroaches will adopt an aggressive posture when approached by the wasp, while concealing its neck. When the wasp attacks, some cockroaches try a hind kick to fend of the aggressor. If grabbed, a last resource is attempting to bite the wasp while protecting the neck from the stinging foe. We observed at least one wasp perish from a received bite by a larger male cockroach, which was ultimately left alone. Finally we observe that larger cockroaches offered the chance for wasps to lay two eggs instead of just one. In every where two eggs were laid on a larger host, two dwarfed male wasps were produced.
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Why is it important?
The present manuscript was a pioneering description of behavioural plasticity displayed by two largely popular insects. The described behaviours can be further detailed in studies concerning learning, ecological strategies, host manipulation by parasites. In fact, this study is influencing ongoing studies in at least two of these areas, to be linked further below.
Perspectives
This interesting study was a parallel investigation to my Master's degree project. The hours spent observing and testing these insects have greatly opened my eyes to natural history and laboratory observations of animals. I have taken several minutes of videos, to be edited later elsewhere. I highly recommend these insects to aspiring entomologists seeking new projects. The cockroach Periplaneta americana is one of the most well-known insects in Science, however this is a trivial demonstration of how much we don't know about them. For instance, is it the original host of these wasps? Meaning, are the defence strategies evolutionarily imprinted or the interesting product of circumstantial improvisation? Are the wasps controlling the fate of offspring upon laying based on visual assessment of host size? Countless intriguing questions arise. I'd like to hear from readers.
Dr Eduardo G P Fox
IBCCF / UFRJ
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Notes on the Biology and Behaviour of the Jewel Wasp,Ampulex compressa(Fabricius, 1781) (Hymenoptera; Ampulicidae), in the Laboratory, Including First Record of Gregarious Reproduction, Entomological News, September 2009, American Entomological Society,
DOI: 10.3157/021.120.0412.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Blog post on a subsequent project citing this paper (in Russian)
A press release in Russia on a subsequent paper detailing the defensive behaviour of the roaches. In Russian.
News with short interview I gave upon publishing the paper (in Portuguese)
Press release with a short interview I gave upon publishing the paper (in Portuguese)
Outreach magazine piece mentioning the study (in Portuguese)
Nice magazine piece based on a given interview upon publishing this paper.
Echoed interview on a blog, taken from a Science magazine (in Portuguese)
Blog post copying the contents of an interview I gave to a magazine upon publishing this paper.
The Published Manuscript
Feel free to read the full manuscript, deposited in a public repository.
Subsequent paper detailing the life history of this wasp
I highly recommend reading this paper for further info.
Another paper of ours, from the same project
In this parallel paper we describe the larval instars of the parasite wasp.
One of countless later Blog posts describing the defensive behaviour of the cockroaches
This is the best blog post on the topic, I highly recommend reading it.
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
