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Newly discovered wasp bursts from the bodies of fruit flies like a scene from Alien
Scientists were shocked to discover a new species of wasp that bursts from the bodies of other insects like the most horrific scenes from Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise.
Humans might be the most dangerous animals on the planet, but Mother Nature has some heavy hitters of her own in the form of lizards with iron-tipped teeth and sharks with a 4,000-pound bite force. The situation is just as terrifying on the flora side of things, with zombie mushrooms but one of the many deadly plants.
A student stumbled upon the new ‘Alien’ wasp
It’s been a busy month for animal discoveries after the realization that some sharks are eating each other, but it seems Mother Nature is not done with us yet.
In a backyard in Starkville, Mississippi, Ph.D. student Logan Moore stumbled upon a horror show as he collected fruit flies for an ongoing study with Professor Matthew Ballinger at Mississippi State University.
When collecting the little critters, Logan noticed that some of them were infected with parasites, something that had not been recorded before in the adult stage of the life cycle.
All known parasitoid wasps of flies attack and develop inside immature life stages, Professor Matthew Ballinger explained. Despite 200 years of research on parasitoid wasps of Drosophila and other flies, we have never come across a species that attacks the adult stage, until now.
Hoping to learn more about the Alien wasp, researchers pulled a range of data that showed its endemic throughout much of the Eastern United States. The larvae are laid inside or on the bodies of fruit flies, at which point they grow and burst outwards after draining all of the available nutrients.
Though the wasp has yet to receive a formal name and description, the Mississippi State University team is working with entomologist Scott Shaw for an official classification. Their findings so far were published in the Nature journal this week.
The insect could spark further scientific advancement
Much like the recent study that said python hearts could be used to treat hearts, the newly discovered wasp could provide interesting avenues to explore in the field of research.
Studying how parasites and pathogens influence Drosophila biology and behavior has helped researchers learn more about fundamental biological processes like immunity and reproduction, the team said. Were excited to learn more about the new species, and we hope other researchers will begin their own projects to better understand its infection biology, ecology, and evolution in the coming years.”
Such information could be used in industries ranging from agriculture to medicine.
