Emerald Cockroach Wasp vs Hockeria Chalcid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Emerald Cockroach Wasp Hockeria Chalcid
Scientific Name Ampulex compressa Hockeria unicolor
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Ampulicidae Chalcididae
Size 22 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Forests Grasslands
Diet Nectar Feeders Parasitoids
Regions Africa, Asia, Oceania Europe
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

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.

Hockeria Chalcid

A metallic dark parasitoid wasp that attacks the pupae of noctuid moths in the soil. It is found across Europe in grasslands and open habitats.

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Did You Know?

Females dig into the soil to find and parasitize cutworm moth pupae hidden several centimeters below the surface.