Nature's most unsettling biological heist: the jewel wasp and its zombie slave
In short: The jewel wasp and the cockroach share a parasitic relationship so bizarre it feels like science fiction. This video explores the lifecycle of a parasite that literally hijacks another organism's body.
Carl Zimmer explores the biological mechanics of how a jewel wasp stuns a cockroach to begin a parasitic cycle. The process concludes months later when a new jewel wasp hatches directly out of the host cockroach.
The video, originally presented at TEDYouth 2012, highlights the fascinating and often disgusting reality of these parasitic interactions, illustrating how some species have evolved to turn other living creatures into nurseries.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Parasite tales: The jewel wasp's zombie slave - Carl Zimmer
- Also: The Jewel Wasp’s Zombie Slave: Video of My TEDYouth Talk
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