Wasps that turn spiders into zombie slaves

  • Wasp parasite spider
How to have a spider working for you
 

Philippe Fernandez-Fournier discovered a ground-breaking natural phenomenon in the Ecuadorian Amazon: The Zatypota Percontatoria wasp transforms some spiders into a zombie-like drones by laying its eggs in the arachnid. The wasp larva then grows within the spider and controls the behaviour of its unwitting host. Not only does the spider leave its community, but also spins a cocoon for the larva!