Since their larvae are dependent on the host’s body for their first phase of life, it behooves the wasp to improve conditions in the body in whatever way it can. For example, some parasitic wasps are ...

Parasitoid wasps sometimes lay eggs in unsuitable host insects, a behavior that has traditionally been considered accidental. However, researchers at the University of Tsukuba have discovered that ...

A parasitic wasp castrates its moth larvae hosts by injecting them with a ‘domesticated’ virus that causes cells in the larvae’s testes to die. Now, scientists know exactly how the virus does its ...

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We humans have our fair share of parasites, some annoying, some dangerous. Common parasitic predators include bed bugs, lice, roundworms, tapeworms and ticks. Some of these and others can cause ...

If you puncture the ovary of a wasp called Microplitis demolitor, viruses squirt out in vast quantities, shimmering like iridescent blue toothpaste. “It’s very beautiful and just amazing that there’s ...