Template:POTD/2010-02-28
The emerald cockroach wasp (Ampulex compressa) is an entomophagous parasite wasp species which is known for its unusual reproductive behavior. The female will capture a live cockroach by stinging it twice, first to paralyze it and the second to disable the roach's escape reflex. After the roach recovers, it is taken to the wasp's burrow, where the wasp lays an egg inside the roach's abdomen. With no escape reflex, the roach will simply rest there. After the larvae hatch a few days later, they will devour the roach from the inside.Photo credit: Muhammad Mahdi Karim