For all of those who are interested in wasps...I think I might have found a way to raise parasites

[Stylopidae]

I stumbled across this video online. For those of you who may want to attempt to raise parasitic wasps, this gives you a great idea on the setup. I may try a setup similar to this...provided I can actually find parasitic wasps.

I'm still looking for Sphecius speciosus

[YOUTUBE]DzGCSk1Zpoo[/YOUTUBE]

For those of you who don't study wasps, this is an adult Ampulex compressa...and it's actually a very interesting species.

It's a parasitic (well...exoparasitoid) wasp that preys on cockroaches. The female stings the roach twice...once in the thorax to paralyze it and once in the head to disable a certian set of nerves which deal with a flight response.

After the venom takes effect the wasp can then lead the cockroach, like a leashed pet, to her burrow.

You can read about the wasp more in detail here, in Carl Zimmer's blog.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Amazing stuff! Thanks for posting!

 

[macjizzle]

very cool and interesting video. the blog was a nice read too.

 

[Mat]

London Zoo used to have a colony of these on display in the insect house - fun to watch.

 

[Nich]

Chesh, that was reall was awesome, love the music too....
Funny how it blocked the host in yet not so much that the hatchling couldnt make its way out. Very interesting.

 

[Eclipse]

I'm a fan of parasites, I used to raise wasp that used caterpillars as host and certain flies that lays eggs in adult crickets. Fun Stuff

 

[Malhavoc's]

so.. how exactly do you get the mail and female to mate? I always assumed it was done simmilar to ants, in the air and difficult/impossible to replicate

 

[Stylopidae]

so.. how exactly do you get the mail and female to mate? I always assumed it was done simmilar to ants, in the air and difficult/impossible to replicate

One member here on AB has reported a successful Polistes sp. mating in captivity. I'm not him, so I'll need to leave it to him to share his methodology.

I do not know the mating dynamics of parasitic wasps, however I do live in an area where I can constantly see them digging burrows and building their nests to put their prey in.

I would assume these females are already mated.

The researchers who made this video are listed in the video. I was planning on reading their research to answer that question (for this species) but I can't find a place to park within walking distance to the Library at ISU.

So it seems my superpowers for finding research are temporarily suspended.

 

[Malhavoc's]

Poor cheshire! I am sure you will overcome it!

I also see alot of parasitic wasps nest making around here, very very fascinating creatures, and pretty intelligent too (having observed them bypass my misquito net protecting my outdoor bug collection, nab some of my specimens and return again like its an open fridge!) I think I'm going to have to look into this aswell, something else to take up more room in my house