Emerald Cockroach Wasp vs Giant Blue Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Emerald Cockroach Wasp	Giant Blue Swallowtail
Scientific Name	Ampulex compressa	Papilio zalmoxis
Order	Hymenoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Ampulicidae	Papilionidae
Size	22 mm	140-170 mm wingspan
Habitat	Forests	Forests
Diet	Nectar Feeders	Omnivores
Regions	Africa, Asia, Oceania	West and Central Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, DRC, Ghana)
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

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.

Giant Blue Swallowtail

One of the largest and most spectacular butterflies in Africa, with a wingspan exceeding 150 mm. The wings are brilliant pale blue with dark margins. It is a powerful flier that inhabits the canopy of primary rainforests.

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Did You Know?

This magnificent butterfly rarely descends below 20 meters, spending most of its life soaring through the forest canopy.