The Wasp All Cockroach’s Fear
Deep in the forest, there is something horrifying shifting among the leaves, looking for the perfect prey. Its gem-like green catches the sunshine and flashes like an emerald, with wings and a stinger. Though harmless to humans, the Emerald Cockroach Wasp (ECW) is an absolute nightmare for cockroaches that live nearby.
The Emerald Cockroach Wasp is a very small insect, with females being 22mm in size and males growing to be half the size usual females. Not only are the males smaller, but they also lack the sharp stinger that females carry around. They are known to have emerald-like shells that reflect in the sun, giving them another name: the Jewel Wasp. These bugs are most commonly found in Tropical regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as some places in Africa. According to The Insect Guide website, the ECW has a lifespan of several months. They do have stingers, but only stinger-cockroaches, and they are often hunted by birds and mantises.
There’s a reason this bug is found to be a bit scary by many people. It’s true, they have no intention of harming humans, but they have a much darker side under that dazzling emerald shell…it’s their way of reproduction. After the female wasp mates, she finds the perfect target-a cockroach. She quickly latches onto the chosen insect and first stings the bundle of nerves, which paralyzes the front 2-4 legs. This stops the cockroach from fighting back and potentially harming the ECW. The second sting is aimed precisely at the head of the roach, using the venom to turn it into a mind-controlled bug zombie. It is then grabbed by the wasp and dragged to her burrow. After they get inside, the female wasp lays two eggs underneath the cockroach, before leaving and sealing the burrow. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae will feed on the still-alive cockroach to help their growth. Creepy.
The Emerald Cockroach Wasp’s life cycle keeps on going after the cockroach has been fully “brain washed” and set in the burrow. The eggs hatch after 2-3 days of being laid. The first stage of the larvae feeds on the roach’s blood for 4-5 days. Afterwards, the larvae begin to eat deeper into the cockroach for 8 more days until it is ready to weave a cocoon around itself. According to the Insect Guide website, the cocoon is made of a brownish silk that wraps around the grown larvae, and this process can take several weeks. Once it is fully engulfed in the silk cocoon, it stays inside for 13 days before emerging full-grown and ready for the world.
The Emerald Cockroach Wasp looks beautiful on the outside, but it has an evil plan for the next roach it finds. However, despite the weird reproductive decisions it makes, it is still an amazing bug to study and observe, especially since they aren’t known to harm humans and seem to be very intelligent when hunting down cockroaches.
