Cockroach-predator
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.
Ampulex canaliculata
cockroach wasp
Ampulex canaliculata is a small cockroach wasp in the family Ampulicidae, native to eastern North America. Females hunt wood cockroaches in the genus Parcoblatta, using a specialized sting to induce a state of weak paralysis that eliminates the prey's escape reflex. The wasp then leads the subdued cockroach to a pre-existing cavity, lays an egg on it, and entombs it to serve as living food for the developing larva.
Evanioidea
Aulacid, Carrot, and Ensign Wasps
Evanioidea is a small superfamily of parasitoid wasps comprising three extant families: Evaniidae (ensign wasps), Aulacidae (aulacid wasps), and Gasteruptiidae (gasteruptiid or carrot wasps). Aulacidae and Gasteruptiidae are sister groups, with Evaniidae representing a more distant lineage. The superfamily is defined by a distinctive morphological trait: the metasoma attaches high on the propodeum, well above the hind coxae. Approximately 1,100 extant species are described, though many remain undescribed. The group has a rich fossil record extending to the Middle Jurassic, with peak diversity during the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition before decline following the rise of Ichneumonoidea.
Podium luctuosum
Podium luctuosum is a species of thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae, first described by Frederick Smith in 1856. It has been documented provisioning its nests with Parcoblatta cockroaches as prey for its developing larvae. The species occurs in Middle and North America, with 614 observations recorded on iNaturalist. Like other members of its genus, it exhibits the characteristic elongated petiole (thread-waisted morphology) typical of sphecid wasps.
Podium rufipes
Podium rufipes is a thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae, averaging 19 mm in length. Females are known to repurpose abandoned nests from Sceliphron wasps and wood-boring beetles, or construct trap nests in wood. The species provisions its young with paralyzed cockroach nymphs.