[ad_1]
A cockroach was filmed by karate kicking a parasitic wasp to protect itself from becoming a zombie.
Ken Catania, a biologist at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, was studying the interactions between predators and prey when he discovered that cockroaches were trying to defend themselves against wasps that were trying to use their bodies as hosts for their larvae.
Emerald wasps are a solitary species known for its unusual breeding characteristics. The female stings the thorax and the brain of the American cockroach in order to take control of its behavior. The wasp lays its eggs in the cockroach and in the following days, the little girl eats the live cockroach from the inside.
Scientists have recently discovered that cockroach bites release a neurotoxin that leads to vigorous grooming before falling into a state of rest. The wasp larvae begin to feed.
In a study published in the journal Brain, behavior and evolutionCatania has now explained how the cockroach tries to defend itself to avoid this fate of zombies.
Using a video at very low speed, Catania showed how the cockroach wasting the wasp with its hind legs to prevent the wasp from delivering its first sting sting. And as good news for the cockroach, he found that these karate kicks work about 63% of the adult's time. Juveniles were less successful, almost always losing the battle.
"The cockroach has a series of behaviors that it can deploy to repel the zombie makers, and that starts with what I call the" on guard "position, as in fencing," he said. he declared. "This allows the roach to move his antenna to the wasp so he can follow an imminent attack and aim at the wasp's head and body, which is one of the most effective deterrents. It's reminiscent of what a movie character would do when a zombie would follow him. "
Normally, he said, the wasp decides that the fight is over and looks for a younger, less defensive host for his cubs. "In order for a cockroach to not become a zombie, the best strategy is: be alert, protect your throat and hit the attacker's head several times," he concludes.
[ad_2]
Source link
