Scientists working in Kachin, Myanmar, have discovered a previously unknown wasp species preserved in 99-million-year-old Kachin amber, boasting an abdomen unlike any seen before. The wasp’s rear end exhibits a rounded abdominal apparatus with hairy bristles, reminiscent of a Venus flytrap.
Sixteen adult female wasps were found, allowing researchers to classify them as a new species, Sirenobethylus charybdis. According to a article on ScienceAlert.com, the researchers note that “the rounded abdominal apparatus, combined with the setae along the edges, is reminiscent of a Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), a carnivorous plant using two opposing specialized leaves to capture insect prey.”
Possible parasitic behavior
The researchers, led by Qiong Wu from Capital Normal University in Beijing, China, theorize the wasp was a koinobiont parasite, laying eggs inside live hosts. Its unusual abdomen likely functioned to capture and restrain prey during egg-laying. The paddle-shaped structure, lined with hairy bristles (setae), suggests a grasping, jaw-like function. Trigger hairs may have allowed the wasp to lie in wait and quickly capture passing prey. The lack of male specimens, however, limited the team’s understanding of the grasper’s full function.
“Many modern koinobiont wasps target slow-moving hosts like caterpillars and fly larvae to house their burgeoning offspring,” Science Alert points out. “This newly described wasp’s grasping rear end would have broadened its options in this regard, allowing it to trap otherwise speedy hosts for long enough to inject eggs into their bodies.”
The research is published online in BMC Biology.
<p>The post Ancient wasp had ‘Venus Flytrap’ abdomen first appeared on Pest Management Professional.</p>
from Pest Management Professional https://www.mypmp.net/2025/03/27/ancient-wasp-had-venus-flytrap-abdomen/
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