Ampulex dementor is a species of cockroach wasp native to Thailand, described in 2014 by Michael Ohl of the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany. The species name was selected by visitors to the museum, in efforts to connect members of the public to issues of taxonomy and the description of biodiversity.
Behavior
The wasp has an unusual behavior towards cockroaches: As it stings its prey, it releases a toxin into the victim's neural nodes, neutralizing all specific neural behavior. Its muscle functions still active, the cockroach then "runs into" the wasp's nest, allowing for its easier capture by the wasp.[1] Ampulex dementor female, holotype. (A) Lateral view. (B) Left fore and hindwings. (C) Head in frontal view. (D) Propodeum in dorsal view. (E) Metasomal terga I-III in dorsal view. Scale bars: (A) 5.0 mm, (B) 2.0 mm, (C-E) 1.0 mm.