Parasite tales: The jewel wasp's zombie slave - Carl Zimmer

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/parasite-tales-the-jewel-wasp-s-zombie-slave-carl-zimmer This is stranger than science fiction. The jewel wasp and the cockroach have a disgusting...

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Translator: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan CinarI would like to introduce you to my favorite parasite.There are millions that I could choose fromand this is it:it's called the jewel wasp.You can find it in parts of Africa and Asia.It's a little under an inch long,and it is a beautiful looking parasite.Now, you may be saying to yourself,"This is not a parasite.It's not a tapeworm,it's not a virus,how could a wasp be a parasite?"You are probably thinking about regular wasps,you know, the ones that build paper nests as their house.Well, the thing is that the jewel waspmakes its house inside a living cockroach.Here's how it happens.A jewel wasp is flying around, looking for a cockroach.When it sees one, it...