Of all the places to find the love of your life, hidden inside the shell of a still-developing fly probably ranks low in most expectations. However, for a male jewel wasp this is the first place to go. According to new research, males of the species can detect potential mates from inside their host flies, even before they’ve burst out of the host.
Jewel wasps (Nasonia vitripennis) can be found across North America, and they reproduce by injecting their eggs, along with a paralysing venom, inside the shells of still-developing flies. The wasp eggs take roughly two weeks to mature to adulthood within the fly shell. Broods are all male if the eggs haven’t been fertilised, or a mixture of male and female if some of the eggs have been. Upon maturity, the wasps devour as much as they can of the host fly for a boost of energy before emerging to mate.