Black Arches vs Emerald Cockroach Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Black Arches Emerald Cockroach Wasp
Scientific Name Lymantria monacha Ampulex compressa
Order Lepidoptera Hymenoptera
Family Erebidae Ampulicidae
Size 40-55 mm wingspan 22 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Omnivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, temperate Asia, Japan Africa, Asia, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Black Arches

A striking moth with white wings boldly marked with black zigzag lines and a pink-flushed abdomen. It can occasionally erupt in huge outbreaks that defoliate conifer forests.

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Did You Know?

During outbreaks in central Europe, caterpillar frass falling from trees sounds like rainfall.

Emerald Cockroach Wasp

A brilliant emerald-green wasp that zombifies cockroaches. It delivers precise stings to the cockroachs brain, removing its escape reflex. Then leads it by the antenna like a dog on a leash.

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Did You Know?

The emerald cockroach wasp performs neurosurgery — it stings a cockroach twice in precise brain locations to disable its escape reflex, then walks it to a burrow like a zombie.