This Insect Makes Stomping On a Cockroach Seem Humane

The jewel wasp looks like an alien straight out of a sci-fi horror movie — at least to a cockroach that has the misfortune of crossing paths with a female about to lay its egg. Tracking the cockroach by sight and smell, the female wasp immobilizes it with a quick, sharp jab to the underbelly, paralyzing the roach’s legs with venom. While the cockroach lies defenseless, the wasp re-stings the cockroach, this time in the neck, then uses surgeon-like precision to guide its stinger to precise spots in the cockroach’s brain to inject its toxin.

Frightened? Intrigued? Watch the video below, and check out more footage of the jewel wasp in action!