Nearly 200 New Species of Parasitic Wasps Discovered in Costa Rica

Among the many animals that make their living off of other species, parasitic wasps are especially cunning. They inject other insects' larvae and eggs with their own eggs. When they hatch, the larval wasps gradually eat their victims from the inside out.

Now, with the help of ordinary Costa Ricans, scientists have discovered nearly 200 new species of these tiny killers in the Área de Conservación Guanacaste in the country's northwest corner, with expectations that 20,000 more are waiting to be described.

The research, published last week in the journal ZooKeys, greatly expands the number of species in the genus Apanteles—parasitic wasps that prey on caterpillars.read more