Life History of the Emerald Jewel Wasp Ampulex compressa

Abstract

The Emerald Jewel Wasp Ampulexcompressa (Fabricius) is an endoparasitoid of the American cockroach Periplanetaamericana (Linnaeus). Its host subjugation strategy is unusual in that envenomation is directed into the host central nervous system, eliciting a long-term behavior modification termed hypokinesia, turning stung cockroaches into a lethargic and compliant, but not paralyzed, living food supply for wasp offspring. A.compressa manipulates hypokinesic cockroaches into a burrow, where it oviposits a single egg onto a mesothoracic leg, hatching three days later. Herein we describe the life history and developmental timing of A.compressa. Using head capsule measurements and observations of mandibular morphology, we found that the larvae develop through three instars, the first two ectoparasitoid, and the third exclusively endoparasitoid. The first two instars have mandibles sufficient for piercing and cutting the cuticle respectively, while the third instar has a larger and blunter mandibular structure. During ecdysis to the third instar, the larva enters the body cavity of the cockroach, consuming internal tissues selectively, including fat body and skeletal muscle, but sparing the gut and Malpighian tubules. The developmental timing to pupation is similar between males and females, but cocoon volume and mass, and pupation duration are sexually dimorphic. Further, we show that the difference in cocoon mass and volume can be used to predict sex before eclosion, which is valuable for studies in venom pharmacology, as only females produce venom.

Chemoreceptor Diversity in Apoid Wasps and Its Reduction during the Evolution of the Pollen-Collecting Lifestyle of Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea)

“…Although all bee species (larvae and adults) feed on extra- and intrafloral plant parts (i.e., pollen, nectar, and floral oils), the larvae of the three apoid wasp species feed on preyed animals provided by their mothers, and their adults feed on nectar and honeydew excreted by aphids ( Gould and Bolton 1988 ). Adult A. compressa females are known to additionally feed on the hemolymph of their preyed animals ( Piek et al 1984 ; Arvidson et al 2018 ; Gnatzy et al 2018 ).…”

Midgut transcriptome assessment of the cockroach-hunting wasp Ampulex compressa (Apoidea: Ampulicidae)

“…This solitary species is native to the Oriental Region and, possibly Ethiopian Region and has been introduced to a number of Pacific islands, and the Neotropics [12]. The life history and famous hunting behavior of A. compressa have been documented extensively [e.g., 10,13,14]. Briefly, females prey on cockroaches, preferentially of Periplaneta americana Linnaeus as larvae provision [15,16].…”

“…Adult wasps, in contrast, feed mainly on sugar-rich nectar or pollen. Exceptions in feeding preferences are only found in adult female wasps, which are known to show a haemolymph-drinking behavior when cutting the cockroach's antennae during predation [14,[17][18][19]. Despite the large number of studies on the life history of A. compressa, little is known about its metabolic pathways and, in particular, how the expression of genes related to digestion, detoxification, and stress response change across life stages.…”

“…The life history and famous hunting behavior of A . compressa have been documented extensively [e.g., 10 , 13 , 14 ]. Briefly, females prey on cockroaches, preferentially of Periplaneta americana Linnaeus as larvae provision [ 15 , 16 ].…”

“…Adult wasps, in contrast, feed mainly on sugar-rich nectar or pollen. Exceptions in feeding preferences are only found in adult female wasps, which are known to show a haemolymph-drinking behavior when cutting the cockroach’s antennae during predation [ 14 , 17 – 19 ]. Despite the large number of studies on the life history of A .…”