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uncommon
Emerald Cockroach Wasp
Ampulex compressa
- Habitat
- Tropical regions of Africa, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands
- Body length
- 22 mm
- Order
- Hymenoptera · Ampulicidae
Weird but real
It stings a cockroach's brain to erase its escape reflex, then leads the docile zombie by an antenna into a grave.
Why it's cool
A neurosurgeon in metallic-green armor: it hijacks another animal's free will with two precise stings, not brute force.
