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What the sources say

Emerald Cockroach WaspAmpulex compressa

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Emerald Cockroach Wasp profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 62 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Arvidson et al. 2018

Arvidson et al. (2018). Life History of the Emerald Jewel Wasp Ampulex compressa. Journal of Hymenoptera Research.

The page saysthen walks it by the antenna into a burrow where its larva eats it alive
The source saysThe cockroach remains alive throughout the first two larval instars and many hours into the third as its organs are consumed selectively
The page saysAdult females sip cockroach hemolymph
The source saysthen commences to drink hemolymph, using the antennal stumps as straws
The page saysand lab adults are fed honey
The source saysAmpulex compressa adults were reared in 2 ft 3 plexiglass cages and provided with honey and water ad libitum
The page sayseach larva feeds on one living American cockroach, first outside it, then inside
The source sayslay a single egg on a mesothoracic leg of the host
The page sayseach larva feeds on one living American cockroach, first outside it, then inside
The source saysthe cockroach remains alive throughout the first two larval instars and many hours into the third as its organs are consumed selectively
The page saysIt stings twice.
The source saysThe attack is characterized by two stings
The page saysThe second sting goes into the head, aimed at the brain and at a cluster of nerve cells called the sub-esophageal ganglion.
The source saysfollowed by a sting into the head cavity, targeting both the subesopha ... geal ganglion and brain
The page saysSensors on the stinger help it feel its way to the target.
The source saysthe wasp is able to sense the location of cephalic ganglia through ... inputs from the stinger
The page saysthen turns hypokinetic, which means it hardly starts walking on its own, for days.
The source saysEnvenomation of head ganglia induces long-term (7–10 days) behavioral changes characterized by increased escape threshold, decreased escape distance, and decreased spontaneous walkingNote: other sources give 3-7 days (Gal & Libersat) and 2-5 weeks (Haspel); body says only 'days'
The page saysThe wasp clips the cockroach's antennae with buzzsaw actions of its jaws, drinks hemolymph (insect blood) through the stumps like straws, then grabs the stumps and leads the cockroach into its burrow.
The source saysthe wasp clips the antennae at precise locations with buzzsaw actions of its mandibles, then commences to drink hemolymph, using the antennal stumps as straws
The page saysthen grabs the stumps and leads the cockroach into its burrow
The source saysThe wasp leads the stung cockroach into its ... by grasping the truncated antennae
The page saysIn the burrow, the wasp lays a single egg on the cockroach's middle leg and seals the entrance with debris.
The source saysproceeds to lay a single egg on a mesothoracic leg of the host, then entombs it by sealing the burrow entrance with miscellaneous debris
The page saysIn a lab colony kept at 28 °C, the egg hatched within three days.
The source saysThe first instar hatches within 3 days of oviposition
The page saysThe larva starts outside the cockroach, drinking hemolymph.
The source saysThe first instar larva pierces the soft cockroach cuticle near the base of the leg to feed on hemolymph
The page saysThen it moves inside.
The source saysAt the end of the second instar, the larva enters the body cavity of the still-living cockroach
The page saysIt grows through three stages, and in the same study the third stage, the one inside, averaged 28.4 millimetres long.
The source says3 28.4 ± 7.27 8.79 ± 2.06 1181 ± 104 885 ± 64Note: third-instar larval body length, Table 1 (mm), n = 13
The page saysInside, it eats fat and muscle first and spares the gut.
The source saysthe third instar larva consumes all fat body and muscle within its reach
The page saysInside, it eats fat and muscle first and spares the gut.
The source saysconsuming internal tissues selectively, including fat body and skeletal muscle, but sparing the gut and Malpighian tubules
The page saysThe central nervous system is the final meal.
The source saysThe final “meal” was the central nervous system
The page saysand the host dries out without rotting.
The source saysEventually the host desiccates without rotting
The page saysThen the larva spins a silk cocoon inside the husk, and one study suggests the cocoon is its armour.
The source saysthe wasp spins a cocoon and pupates inside the cockroach
The page saysFemales are larger than males
The source sayssince females are larger than males
The page saysand only females make venom.
The source saysas only females produce venom
The page saysYes, for a while. It lives through the first two larval stages and for many hours into the third.
The source saysThe cockroach remains alive throughout the first two larval instars and many hours into the third as its organs are consumed selectively
The page saysThe larva eats selectively, taking fat and muscle and leaving the gut.
The source saysconsuming internal tissues selectively, including fat body and skeletal muscle, but sparing the gut and Malpighian tubules
The page sayseach larva feeds on one living American cockroach, first outside it, then inside
The source saysthe first two ectoparasitoid, and the third exclusively endoparasitoid
The page saysIn a lab colony kept at 28 °C, the egg hatched within three days.
The source saysAll insects were maintained at 28 °C and ~50% humidity
The page saysIt grows through three stages, and in the same study the third stage, the one inside, averaged 28.4 millimetres long.
The source sayswe found that the larvae develop through three instars, the first two ectoparasitoid, and the third exclusively endoparasitoid

Source
02

Gal & Libersat 2010

Gal & Libersat (2010). A Wasp Manipulates Neuronal Activity in the Sub-Esophageal Ganglion to Decrease the Drive for Walking in Its Cockroach Prey. PLoS ONE.

The page saysThe wasp that stings a cockroach in the brain
The source saysThe wasp stings the cockroach in the head and delivers a cocktail of neurotoxins directly inside the prey's cerebral ganglia
The page saysthen walks it by the antenna into a burrow where its larva eats it alive
The source saysallowing the wasp to grab its prey by the antenna and lead it to a nest
The page saysA sting aimed at the cockroach's brain that switches off its urge to walk
The source saysBy injecting a venom cocktail directly into the SEG, the parasitoid Jewel Wasp selectively manipulates the cockroach's motivation to initiate walking
The page saysA female emerald cockroach wasp hunts American cockroaches, and it does not kill them. It hijacks them.
The source saysThe adult female wasp hunts cockroaches ( Periplaneta americana ) for use as a live food supply for its offspring. Since development of the wasp's larva requires feeding on live cockroaches for several days [ 11 ] , the adult wasp does not kill or paralyze the cockroach prey
The page saysWhen scientists removed that ganglion before a wasp stung, the sting lasted five times longer, which suggests the wasp actively targets it.
The source saysSurgically removing the cockroach SEG prior to wasp stinging prolongs the duration of the sting 5-fold, suggesting that the wasp actively targets the SEG during the stinging sequence
The page saysThe venom does not paralyze the cockroach. It switches off the urge to walk.
The source saysAlthough not paralyzed, the stung cockroach becomes a living yet docile ‘zombie’, incapable of self-initiating spontaneous or evoked walking
The page saysThe roach grooms itself for about 30 minutes
The source saysA cockroach stung by a Jewel Wasp first grooms itself excessively for 30 minutes
The page saysThe venom goes into a small region of the cockroach's head nervous system, the sub-esophageal ganglion, which normally helps push the insect to start walking.
The source saysdecreased neuronal activity in a small region of the cockroach cerebral nervous system, the sub-esophageal ganglion (SEG). A decrease in descending permissive inputs from this ganglion to thoracic central pattern generators decreases the propensity for walking-related behaviors
The page saysIts activity drops, and the cockroach stops starting walks on its own.
The source saysspontaneous and evoked neuronal spiking activity in the SEG, recorded with an extracellular bipolar microelectrode, is markedly decreased in stung cockroaches versus non-stung controls
The page saysIt can still move, and the wasp grabs an antenna and leads it away.
The source saysThe stung cockroach is not, however, paralyzed, allowing the wasp to grab its prey by the antenna and lead it to a nest
The page saysAdult females sip cockroach hemolymph
The source saysThe adult female wasp hunts cockroaches
The page saysthen turns hypokinetic, which means it hardly starts walking on its own, for days.
The source saysthen becomes hypokinetic for 3–7 days, during which time it loses the ability to self-initiate and maintain walking-related behaviorsNote: the three sources give 3-7 days (Gal & Libersat), 7-10 days (Arvidson) and 2-5 weeks (Haspel abstract); the body says only 'for days'
The page saysThe venom goes into a small region of the cockroach's head nervous system, the sub-esophageal ganglion, which normally helps push the insect to start walking.
The source saysBy injecting a venom cocktail directly into the SEG
The page saysZombie on a leash
The source saysmuch like a submissive dog on a leash
The page saysThe wasp injects venom straight into the cockroach's head ganglia
The source saysThe wasp stings the cockroach in the head and delivers a cocktail of neurotoxins directly inside the prey's cerebral ganglia
The page saysthe cockroach is not paralyzed but stops starting walks on its own, so the wasp can lead it by the antenna
The source saysThe stung cockroach is not, however, paralyzed, allowing the wasp to grab its prey by the antenna and lead it to a nest

Source
03

Herzner et al. 2013

Herzner et al. (2013). Larvae of the parasitoid wasp Ampulex compressa sanitize their host, the American cockroach, with a blend of antimicrobials. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The page saysThe larva also coats its host from the inside with a blend of antimicrobial chemicals
The source saysA. compressa larvae impregnate their cockroach hosts from inside with large amounts of an oral secretion containing a blend of γ-lactones and isocoumarins
The page saysFrom inside the cockroach, the larva coats the host with an oral secretion rich in lactones and isocoumarins, two kinds of antimicrobial chemicals.
The source saysA. compressa larvae impregnate their cockroach hosts from inside with large amounts of an oral secretion containing a blend of γ-lactones and isocoumarins
The page saysIn lab tests the mix held back the growth of both bacteria tried
The source saysThe test fraction inhibited growth of both tested bacteria.
The page saysThe larva also coats its host from the inside with a blend of antimicrobial chemicals
The source saysthe specific combination of antimicrobials in the larval secretion
The page sayswhich suggests it shields the larva from microbes it may meet inside its host
The source saysOur data suggest that the specific combination of antimicrobials in the larval secretion provides an effective frontline defense against the unpredictable spectrum of microbes that A. compressa larvae may encounter during their development inside their cockroach hosts

Source
04

Haspel & Libersat 2003

Haspel & Libersat (2003). Wasp venom blocks central cholinergic synapses to induce transient paralysis in cockroach prey. Journal of Neurobiology.

The page saysThe first sting goes into the thorax, the middle section of the body, and paralyzes the front legs for 2 to 3 minutes.
The source saysIt stings into the first thoracic segment inducing 2 to 3 min of transient flaccid paralysis of the front legs
The page saysThat makes the second sting easier.
The source saysThis facilitates a second sting in the cockroach's head

Source
05

Catania 2024

Catania (2024). The Cocoon of the Developing Emerald Jewel Wasp (Ampulex compressa) Resists Cannibalistic Predation of the Zombified Host. Brain, Behavior and Evolution.

The page saysIn its lab tests, hungry young cockroaches killed the developing wasp on days 0 to 8.
The source saysWhen parasitized cockroaches were exposed to hungry cockroaches on days 0–8 of development, the developing larva was killed.
The page saysOn day 10, 90% of the larvae survived.
The source sayson day 10, 90% of the larvae survived
The page saysSurvival depended entirely on whether the cocoon was finished.
The source saysSurvival depended entirely on whether the cocoon had been completed.
The page saysThe adult breaks out of the cocoon and the husk about 1 to 2 months after the egg is laid, depending on sex and temperature.
The source saysAfter a total time of approximately 1–2 months, depending on sex and temperature
The page saysThen the larva spins a silk cocoon inside the husk, and one study suggests the cocoon is its armour.
The source saysthe larva begins to form a cocoon within the hollowed-out husk of the now-dead cockroach
The page saysThen the larva spins a silk cocoon inside the husk, and one study suggests the cocoon is its armour.
The source sayssuggest the cocoon defends from insect mandibles

Source
06

Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Ampulex compressa (TSN 154312). Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysAmpulex compressa TSN 154312Note: note: no Red List assessment exists; GBIF and Crossref both returned none (checked 2026-10-05 by the orchestrator)
The page saysAfrica, southern Asia, Australia and Oceania, and Hawaii, where it was introduced
The source saysGeographic Division: Africa Australia Oceania Southern Asia Jurisdiction/Origin: Hawaii, Introduced
The page saysThe Integrated Taxonomic Information System lists the wasp in Africa, southern Asia, Australia and Oceania, and records it as introduced to Hawaii.
The source saysGeographic Division: Africa Australia Oceania Southern Asia Jurisdiction/Origin: Hawaii, Introduced

Source
07

Olivia Barney 2026

Olivia Barney (2026). The Zombie Wasp's Link to Parkinson's Research. Natural History Museum of Utah.

The page saystags: iridescent
The source saysthis slender, brightly colored animal is mesmerizing in all its metallic glory
The page saysdangerLevel: Low
The source saysJewel wasp venom is a key that only works on the cockroaches it preys upon. Other people and pets don’t have to worry about becoming zombified. But if the venom isn’t a danger to anything other than the cockroach

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.