The Wasp That Reprograms Spiders

TL;DR

A parasitic wasp forces social spiders to leave their colony and build a protective cocoon by injecting a hormone into their bloodstream.

Transcript

[♪ INTRO] When parasites take over their hosts, they can change their hosts’ behavior. The effects can range from simple aggressiveness to losing their ability to make decisions. But sometimes it gets very weird… And scientists just observed a new parasitic behavior between a spider and a wasp, where the spider re-learned an ancestral behavior!. In... Read More

Key Insights

• 👻 Parasitic wasps can manipulate the behavior of their spider hosts by injecting hormones into their bloodstream.
• 🕷️ The Zatypota wasps target social spiders that build large, messy webs for optimal larval development.
• 🕷️ The injected hormone triggers the spider to leave its colony and build a protective cocoon, benefiting the wasp larvae's growth.
• 👻 By utilizing an existing hormone, the wasps have evolved a way to ensure their own survival by controlling the forgotten behavior of their spider hosts.
• 😚 Social spiders rely on their colonies for protection, but the parasitized individuals lose this group defense mechanism.
• 👻 This new observation adds to the understanding of how parasites can manipulate the behavior and survival strategies of their hosts.
• 👻 The study highlights the complex interactions and adaptations that have evolved in the arms race between parasites and their hosts.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do Zatypota wasps manipulate the behavior of social spiders?

Zatypota wasps inject a hormone known as ecdysteroid into the spider's bloodstream, triggering the spider to leave its colony, build a protective cocoon, and become prey for the developing wasp larvae.

Q: Why do Zatypota wasps specifically target social spiders that build large webs?

Social spiders that build large webs provide an ideal environment for the development of the wasp larvae. The large, messy webs offer protection and resources for the larvae as they feed on the spider's hemolymph.

Q: How does the injection of ecdysteroid affect the spider's behavior?

Ecdysteroid, normally produced by spiders before molting, alters their web-building behavior. In the case of parasitized spiders, the hormone induces the construction of a cocoon, a behavior that is not typically associated with molting.

Q: What is the benefit for the Zatypota wasps in using social spiders as hosts?

By targeting social spiders, the wasps have a constant stream of hosts. The researchers found that a large social spider community has many parasitized individuals, ensuring a stable food source and increased chances of the wasp's survival.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Zatypota wasps target social spiders that build large, messy webs to use as a food source for their larva's development.

• The wasp larva injects a hormone called ecdysteroid into the spider's bloodstream, forcing it to build a protective cocoon and eventually becoming a full-grown wasp.

• By manipulating an existing hormone, the wasps ensure their survival by controlling the behavior of their spider hosts.