Comments on: The Wisdom of Parasites http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/ A science salon hosted by National Geographic Magazine Sat, 25 May 2013 04:21:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2-alpha By: Zombies Exist in Nature « Zombie Headlines http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21109 Zombies Exist in Nature « Zombie Headlines Wed, 06 Jun 2012 04:24:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21109 [...] point out a few more examples of how zombies already exist in nature. First on the list is a wasp, Ampulex compressa, to be precise, that uses venom and its stinger to control cockroaches. The wasp slips her stinger [...]

]]> By: A Parasitic Wasp that Injects Its Venom Into a Cockroach’s Brain in Order to Control It http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21108 A Parasitic Wasp that Injects Its Venom Into a Cockroach’s Brain in Order to Control It Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:17:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21108 [...] Zombie CockroachesThe Wasp that Walks CockroachesA Wasp that finds the seat of the cockroach soulThe Wisdom of ParasitesThis Week’s Sci-Fi Worthy ParasiteEmerald Cockroach Wasp (Ampulex Compressa)#dd_ajax_float{ [...]

]]> By: Beverley Hills Link « Evolving Thoughts http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21107 Beverley Hills Link « Evolving Thoughts Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:04:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21107 [...] The wasp that leads a cockroach by the antenna to its doom, at The Loom. [...]

]]> By: Harman Smith http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21106 Harman Smith Thu, 05 Aug 2010 18:06:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21106 OH MY GOODNESS @ some of the things that have been said here. Way to undermine my faith in humanity everyone. And bravo #229 for actually managing to bring up politics. Seriously? There’s just no hope for some of you.

]]> By: A Wasp Finds the Seat of the Cockroach Soul | The Loom | Discover Magazine http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21105 A Wasp Finds the Seat of the Cockroach Soul | The Loom | Discover Magazine Mon, 03 May 2010 13:18:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21105 [...] would be the Emerald Cockroach Wasp (Ampulex compressa). Back in 2006, I first wrote about the grisly sophistication of this insect, which turns cockroaches into zombie hosts to be devoured by their offspring. Since [...]

]]> By: Bill S http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21104 Bill S Fri, 30 Apr 2010 11:43:06 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21104 This must be the same trick Obama has used to turn millions of Americans into Zombies. Fortunately, many of them are waking up and throwing off the the parasite, and (after this coming November) may go on to lead quite normal lives.

]]> By: Rasselas http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21103 Rasselas Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:58:23 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21103 Janne… “”No need to assume “evolutionary failure” in not stinging the right spot. For a handwaving just-so story, just assume the head sting started as a way to kill a roach to ensure a very fresh, plump corpse for the larvae. Then, a slightly less violent sting would sometimes paralyze – but not outright kill – the host, making for even better conditions. And so, gradually, improvements in accuracy and specificity of the venom would make for better and better conditions for the larvae.”"

This is a nice explanation… but such a statement as above (which is about the nicest I’ve heard) leaves us with these questions:

How would future generations of wasps KNOW where to sting the cockroach? Is that information transferrable via genes? It seems odd to think that a gene would code for WHERE to poke one’s stinger. Like if David threw a stone and hit Goliath on the forehead (his one weak spot) and then some babies crawled into Goliath’s comatose body… are they somehow to know (via genetics) [as David never instructs the children] where to sling their stones when they grow up and fight a giant?

As this sounds like a fairly “solo-bug” kind of story, it doesn’t sound like the mother wasp explains (via oral communication/history) to the child where to guide it’s stinger.

If the wasp originally was killing (or just paralyzing) the roach… then how did she get it back to the nest for her larvae to crawl into?

Or, if left alive and mostly functional, then how did she figure out how to drive the roach to her nest? Does she really know how to parallel park that thing?! ;)

]]> By: A flight-less Earth? - Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21102 A flight-less Earth? - Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:20:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21102 [...] their behaviour, then yes, by all means. Here are two articles on behaviour modifying parasites: The Wisdom of Parasites and The Puppet Master

]]> By: A flight-less Earth? - Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21101 A flight-less Earth? - Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:10:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21101 [...] their behaviour, then yes, by all means. Here are two articles on behaviour modifying parasites: The Wisdom of Parasites and The Puppet Master

]]> By: Parasites Unleashed: Deal Me In | The Loom | Discover Magazine http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21100 Parasites Unleashed: Deal Me In | The Loom | Discover Magazine Sat, 12 Jul 2008 02:44:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2006/02/02/the-wisdom-of-parasites/#comment-21100 [...] and obsessed with parasites, and once you’ve captivated their imagination with tales of zombifying wasps and such, you can plunge into some big concepts that apply across biology–concepts that might [...]

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