The scientists in Mississippi have stumbled upon a new species of wasp, which appeared unreal to them because they lay eggs inside living flies after which the&nbsp;babies burst out of their bellies, according to a report published in Nature.

“At the time we didn’t think it was real,” said the lead author of the study and a biologist at Mississippi State University, Logan Moore, while speaking to Live Science.

The researchers have named this predator Syntretus perlmani and it is the first wasp which has been found to infect adult fruit flies. Generally, wasps are seen targeting the flies when they are younger.

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The wasps are parasitoids and not parasites since they generally kill their hosts and parasites don't.

The wasp was discovered by a team of scientists when they were collecting a common fruit fly known as Drosophila affinis&nbsp;in their backyards in Mississippi.

<h2>How do these strange wasps lay eggs in live flies?</h2>

The female wasps, which have been named Syntretus perlmani, reproduce by pushing their hypodermic-like ovipositor, which is the stinger in stinging wasps, into the abdomen of the fruit fly for depositing its eggs.&nbsp;

The embryo then hatches and turns into a tiny spiky-tailed larva which gets formed inside the still-living host for nearly 18 days before it erupts from one side of its abdomen and leads to a fatal stomachache.

"It will effectively emerge out of the side of the fly," said Moore.&nbsp;

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“Just to add an additional layer of horror, the fly will normally remain alive for several hours after that,” he added.

The researchers first discovered Perlmani, the only species of wasp which infects fruit flies, in a Mississippi backyard last year.

“If you dissect thousands of flies, you will see some things that are strange and odd, and you’ll never see them again,” Moore said.

His team collected several of wasp larvae and confirmed their identity by raising them and analysing their DNA in a lab.

(With inputs from agencies)

The scientists in Mississippi have stumbled upon a new species of wasp, which appeared unreal to them because they lay eggs inside living flies after which the babies burst out of their bellies, according to a report published in Nature.

The scientists in Mississippi have stumbled upon a new species of wasp, which appeared unreal to them because they lay eggs inside living flies after which the babies burst out of their bellies, according to a report published in Nature. “At the time we didn’t think it was real,” said the lead author of the study and a biologist at Mississippi State University, Logan Moore, while speaking to Live Science. The researchers have named this predator Syntretus perlmani and it is the first wasp which has been found to infect adult fruit flies. Generally, wasps are seen targeting the flies when they are younger. Also Read: Chinese man inhales cockroach in sleep, insect remains lodged in airway for three days The wasps are parasitoids and not parasites since they generally kill their hosts and parasites don't. The wasp was discovered by a team of scientists when they were collecting a common fruit fly known as Drosophila affinis in their backyards in Mississippi. How do these strange wasps lay eggs in live flies? The female wasps, which have been named Syntretus perlmani, reproduce by pushing their hypodermic-like ovipositor, which is the stinger in stinging wasps, into the abdomen of the fruit fly for depositing its eggs. The embryo then hatches and turns into a tiny spiky-tailed larva which gets formed inside the still-living host for nearly 18 days before it erupts from one side of its abdomen and leads to a fatal stomachache. "It will effectively emerge out of the side of the fly," said Moore. Also Read: Worms that live in eyes and are transmitted by flies can reach humans, experts fear “Just to add an additional layer of horror, the fly will normally remain alive for several hours after that,” he added. The researchers first discovered Perlmani, the only species of wasp which infects fruit flies, in a Mississippi backyard last year. “If you dissect thousands of flies, you will see some things that are strange and odd, and you’ll never see them again,” Moore said. His team collected several of wasp larvae and confirmed their identity by raising them and analysing their DNA in a lab. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists discover 'horror' alien-like wasp that burst out from bellies of living flies

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