Ampulicidae
Guides
Ampulex
cockroach wasps, jewel wasps
Ampulex is a large cosmopolitan genus of cockroach-hunting wasps in the family Ampulicidae, comprising over 130 species concentrated in tropical regions of the Old World. Fewer than 15 species occur in the New World, and fewer than 5 are native to Europe or the United States. The genus is notable for its specialized parasitoid biology: females sting cockroaches with venom that induces a state of hypokinesia—suppressed escape response and reduced locomotion without paralysis—then lead the subdued host to a shelter, lay eggs on its legs, and seal it inside where the larva consumes the living host. The emerald jewel wasp Ampulex compressa is the best-studied species and has spread globally alongside its host cockroaches.