Scientists have discovered a new species of ‘gruesome parasitic’ wasp which eats victims from the inside like the fearsome creatures from the Alien films.
The terrifying killer is so similar to the fictional monsters that it was even named after the ‘xenomorphs’ in Ridley Scott’s horror movie series.
Researchers discovered that adult members of the species Dolichogenidea xenomorph inject eggs into live caterpillars using a long needle-like injector called an ‘ovipositor’.
Their babies then slowly eat their victims from the inside out before bursting out like a ‘chestburster’ alien.
‘It acts as a parasite in caterpillars in a similar way that the fictional Alien creature does in its human host,’ said Erinn Fagan-Jeffries, a PhD student at the University of Adelaide.
‘The wasp is also black and shiny like the alien, and has a couple of weird traits for the genus – so xenomorph, meaning ‘strange form’, fits really well.’
‘At less than 5mm in length, Dolichogenidea xenomorph might seem to lack the punch of its fearsome namesake. But size is relative; to a host caterpillar, it’s an awesome predator.’
The dreadful wasp is one of three Parasitoid wasps, which is the name for creatures which kill their hosts.
Its believed these awful creatures could be used to control populations of caterpillars which eat up farmers’ crops.
A total of three new wasp species were found to engage in parasitoid behaviour and it’s believed there could be even more of the beasts lurking in the wilds of Australia.
The wasp was found in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, and in southern Western Australia. But scientists believe it ‘likely has a wider distribution across’ the country.
Which means it could be coming to a garden near you.
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