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Wasp Larvae Feed on Zombie Roaches

TheUploader writes "The story leaves nothing to embellish: The wasp, Ampulex compressa, has evolved to inject a toxin into a specific part of a roach's brain, turning it into a zombie. The wasp then leads the zombie roach into the wasp's nest, lays eggs inside it, and waits for its young to hatch, who will then go on to do the same to more roaches."

13 of 435 comments (clear)

  1. MMM! by rob_squared · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What wonderful breakfast conversation.

    Anyway, I think I detect an IgNobile prize winner here.

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    I don't get it.
    1. Re:MMM! by Nataku564 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I believe this had been discovered quite some time ago. I seem to remember watching an episode of Nature (or something similar) that featured this particular wasp. In addition to injecting the toxin, it also snips off the antennae (disorienting it), and uses the stubs to herd it into its tomb.

  2. Re:Real-Live Goa'uld by MindStalker · · Score: 2, Insightful

    No they don't control the roaches mind. They inject a drug that pacifies the roach, then they control it with its antennae kinda like reins. Not direct mind control of any sort.

  3. Re:The world is a scary place... by AlterTick · · Score: 5, Insightful
    how on earth would a parasite evolve the right chemical signal to trigger its host to jump into water or perch at the top of a tree?

    Randomly. That's kinda the idea behind evolution. The one's that didn't develop the right chemical trigger didn't get the distinct advantage of the climbing-slave-bug spore dispersal.

    --
    Conclusion: the Empire squashes the Federation like a bug. Accept it.
  4. Mode parent down by ObsessiveMathsFreak · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'm all for comedy on Slashdot, but these evolution "debates" make us all look stupid.

    --
    May the Maths Be with you!
    1. Re:Mode parent down by GoofyBoy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I would mod him offtopic just because I'm just sick and tired of people, both sides, screaming and yelling about ID everytime there is a story about nature on slashdot.

      --
      The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
  5. Re:Real-Live Goa'uld by SillySnake · · Score: 2, Insightful

    i.e. Americans

  6. Re:not the roach or wasp as you know them by nwbvt · · Score: 5, Insightful
    "Nothing new here, except that this particular species has found a way to use the roaches power to move the body to a premade burrow instead of digging the burrow on the spot."

    Yeah, hence why the headline read "Wasp Larvae Feed on Zombie Roaches" instead of simply "Wasp Larvae Feed on Roaches". This particular mechanism is the interesting aspect of this article.

    "Unless Slashdot has a very high percentage of entymologists, I don't think it is that newsworthy for slashdot readers."

    We may not have a large percentage of entymologists here, but it does have a large percentage of science nerds who enjoy reading about novel discoveries in the world of science (of course until the site recovers from being /.ed, its hard to determine whether or not this is indeed a novel discovery or just a reprint of something that was discovered some time ago).

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    Mathematics is made of 50 percent formulas, 50 percent proofs, and 50 percent imagination.
  7. Re:More proof.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    But logically speaking, you can't argue:

    If
    God is all powerful
    God is all knowing
    God is all Loving
    then
    Why Suffering?

    because Loving and Suffering are two subjective statements, and is strictly relative those who subscribe to those two ideas. This makes that argument illogical, because in the end, everyones love and suffering is different.

  8. Re:More proof.. by Captain+Splendid · · Score: 1, Insightful
    Or maybe he's being a dick for all we know.

    This tends to be my ultimate point in arguments with religious nuts. Even if you can convince me that faith is better than proof, etc., I still don't like God very much. I mean, we tend to put people who behave like that in prisons or asylums, and I'm supposed to worship the guy?

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    Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
  9. Re:More proof.. by jav1231 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    That doesn't stop Slashdot from turning into a diatribe on Bush and God anytime a bug post, political post...okay ANY post is posted these days. That and an ID vs. Evolution battle. So much for technology. First of all if evolution is the final word there's nothing "technological" about it. Same with ID. It just seems that so many evolutionists on Slashdot are so the same way they're liberal: basically they a) want to be with the crowd and b) they afraid someone somewhere is wiretapping their phones or videotaping their every move to find out if they masterbate.

  10. Re:More proof.. by KDR_11k · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I don't think we were really created in God's image unless God was little more than a subservient monkey, which is what Adam and Eve were before the serpent made them eat the apple. The apple is what turned them into humans. Yet we are told to yearn for the days when we were still monkeys and be ashamed for being what we are (inherited sin and all that nonsense)? Did the Greek demonize Prometheus? Then why do we demonize the serpent and ourselves?

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    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  11. Re:More proof.. by alienburrito · · Score: 2, Insightful

    proof of inteligent design indeed. The Flying spaghetti monster is an amazing being indeed.