The giant ichneumon wasp, megarhyssa rixator, has an unusual method for laying eggs. Using her overly-long ovipositor to drill deep into a tree trunk, she deposits a single egg on to the surface of an immobilized wood wasp larva. Her egg turns into a larva, that will eat the paralyzed host…bit by bit.
Transcript Print
The wasp''s antennae scan every millimeter of bark.
For a very specific spot.
She''s found it.
Now megarhyssa manoevres her ovipositor into position.
But it''s much too long.
First it''s coiled into a special flexible pouch in her abdomen.
Now the drill is at right angles to the wood.
She can bore straight through the bark.
With hi-tech precision she drills towards the larva of a wood wasp.
The megarhyssa pierces its body and injects her venom.
This won''t kill the larva, but paralyzes it for ever.
She retracts the ovipostor just a little.
And then lays an egg directly on to the surface of the immobilized wood wasp larva.
Her egg turns into a larva, that will eat the paralyzed host bit by bit... ...until it''s ready to emerge.
