BS: Zombie Cockroaches

Subject: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: bobad
Date: 12 Mar 06 - 12:40 PM

Ain't nature wonderful!

Wasp performs roach-brain-surgery to make zombie slave-roaches

Ampulex compressa is a wasp that has evolved to tackle roaches, insert a stinger into their brains and disable their escape reflexes. This lets the wasp use the roach's antennae to steer the roach to its lair, where it can lay its egg in it. Parasite Rex author Carl Zimmer tells the story in gooey, graphic detail:

    The wasp slips her stinger through the roach's exoskeleton and directly into its brain. She apparently use ssensors along the sides of the stinger to guide it through the brain, a bit like a surgeon snaking his way to an appendix with a laparoscope. She continues to probe the roach's brain until she reaches one particular spot that appears to control the escape reflex. She injects a second venom that influences these neurons in such a way that the escape reflex disappears.

    From the outside, the effect is surreal. The wasp does not paralyze the cockroach. In fact, the roach is able to lift up its front legs again and walk. But now it cannot move of its own accord. The wasp takes hold of one of the roach's antennae and leads it--in the words of Israeli scientists who study Ampulex--like a dog on a leash.

    The zombie roach crawls where its master leads, which turns out to be the wasp's burrow. The roach creeps obediently into the burrow and sits there quietly, while the wasp plugs up the burrow with pebbles. Now the wasp turns to the roach once more and lays an egg on its underside. The roach does not resist. The egg hatches, and the larva chews a hole in the side of the roach. In it goes.

    The larva grows inside the roach, devouring the organs of its host, for about eight days. It is then ready to weave itself a cocoon--which it makes within the roach as well. After four more weeks, the wasp grows to an adult. It breaks out of its cocoon, and out of the roach as well. Seeing a full-grown wasp crawl out of a roach suddenly makes those Alien movies look pretty derivative.

http://www.boingboing.net/2006/02/03/wasp_performs_roachb.html

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: frogprince
Date: 12 Mar 06 - 04:19 PM

Isn't nature pretty...
Don't anyone show this to our current (U.S.) leaders; it might give them ideas.

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: Peace
Date: 12 Mar 06 - 04:24 PM

The Neocons have been doing something similar for decades.

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: MarkS
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 12:18 AM

We use something similar in our barn. Got a product called "Predators" - a parasitic wasp which uses fly larvae for food. We spread the egg cases around monthly in summer. When they hatch they seek out fly larvae and reproduce, killing the fly larva in the process. Since using them our summer fly problem is waaaaay reduced.
Mark

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: open mike
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 12:36 AM

So, now do you have a wasp problem?

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: MarkS
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 12:46 AM

Nope - These wasps are the size of pinheads and indifferent to humans. They only pose a problem to fly larvae.
As long as we are on the subject of "Green" pest control, we can also report that in the 3 years since we have been keeping a flock of Guinea Hens, our tic problem has vanished. Seems tics are these critters favorite food!

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: Peace
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 01:00 AM

Symbiosis and symbiotic relationships in farming are definitely the way to go.

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: ranger1
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 10:19 AM

Cool!

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: Bert
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 12:04 PM

A thread about Zombie Cockroaches
and not one mention of our Illustrious President!

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: Wesley S
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 01:02 PM

But it sounds like a good name for a band.

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: Peace
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 01:16 PM

Would they be driven to their performances in (are ya ready for this?)








































Zombie Rockcoaches?

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: Wesley S
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 02:01 PM

Eeeewwwwwww........

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: Bert
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 02:59 PM

...Zombie Rockcoaches?... Peace YOU'RE OUTA HERE!

Subject: RE: BS: Zombie Cockroaches
From: frogprince
Date: 13 Mar 06 - 03:29 PM

In my day in the Navy, a canteen truck would make the rounds of docked ships at least once daily. The polite traditional term for it was "the geedunk truck". The other common term was "the roach coach".