''Ampulex'' is a large cosmopolitan

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. Th ...

s belonging to the family

Ampulicidae The Ampulicidae, or cockroach wasps, are a small (about 170 species), primarily tropical family of sphecoid wasps, all of which use various cockroaches as prey for their larvae. They tend to have elongated jaws, pronounced neck-like constrictions ...

. Most of the >130 species occur in the tropics, particularly in the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

, and fewer than 15 are known from the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

; fewer than 5 species are native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

or the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, though the Old World species ''

Ampulex compressa The emerald cockroach wasp or jewel wasp (''Ampulex compressa'') is a solitary wasp of the family Ampulicidae. It is known for its unusual reproductive behavior, which involves stinging a cockroach and using it as a host for its larvae. It thus ...

'' has spread to virtually everywhere that its host roaches (esp. the genus ''

Periplaneta ''Periplaneta'' is a genus of cockroaches. Selected species Species include: * '' Periplaneta aboriginea'' Roth, 1994 * ''Periplaneta americana'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – American cockroach * '' Periplaneta australasiae'' (Fabricius, 1775) – Aust ...

'') can be found. The few species whose biology is known are

parasitoid In evolutionary ecology, a parasitoid is an organism that lives in close association with its host (biology), host at the host's expense, eventually resulting in the death of the host. Parasitoidism is one of six major evolutionarily stable str ...

s of

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known as ...

es; they typically inject venom into the roach that subdues or immobilizes it, and then lay one to two eggs between the legs of the defenseless roach.

Selected species

*''

Ampulex canaliculata ''Ampulex canaliculata'' is a species of cockroach wasp in the family Ampulicidae. References Parasitic wasps Articles created by Qbugbot Insects described in 1823 Ampulicidae {{apoidea-stub ...

Say Say may refer to: Music *''Say'' (album), 2008 album by J-pop singer Misono * "Say" (John Mayer song), 2007 *"Say (All I Need)", 2007 song by American pop rock band OneRepublic * "Say" (Method Man song), 2006 single by rapper Method Man * "Say" ( ...

, 1823 *''

Fabricius Fabricius ( la, smith, german: Schmied, Schmidt) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *people from the Ancient Roman gens Fabricia: **Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, the first of the Fabricii to move to Rome * Johann Goldsmid (1587� ...

, 1781 – jewel wasp or emerald cockroach wasp *''

Ampulex dementor ''Ampulex dementor'' is a species of cockroach wasp native to Thailand, described in 2014 by Michael Ohl of the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany. The species name was selected by visitors to the museum in an effort to raise awareness a ...

'' Ohl, 2014 *''

Ampulex fasciata ''Ampulex'' is a large cosmopolitan genus of wasps belonging to the family Ampulicidae. Most of the >130 species occur in the tropics, particularly in the Old World, and fewer than 15 are known from the New World; fewer than 5 species are nativ ...

'' Jurine, 1807 *''

Ampulex ferruginea ''Ampulex ferruginea'' is a species of cockroach wasp in the family Ampulicidae. References Ampulicidae {{apoidea-stub ...

'' Bradley, 1934 *''

Ampulex ruficollis ''Ampulex'' is a large cosmopolitan genus of wasps belonging to the family Ampulicidae. Most of the >130 species occur in the tropics, particularly in the Old World, and fewer than 15 are known from the New World; fewer than 5 species are nativ ...

'' Cameron, 1889 For further species see ITIS.

References

Ampulicidae Biological pest control wasps Apoidea genera {{Apoidea-stub