Scientists have discovered a bizarre 99-million-year-old wasp preserved in amber, featuring an abdomen shaped like a Venus flytrap, according to a new study in BMC Biology.
Dubbed Sirenobethylus charybdis, the female wasp likely used its paddle-like, bristled flaps to grip prey while laying eggs inside, ensuring its offspring had a living host to feed on. Unlike any modern insect, this unique structure didn’t crush but immobilized struggling victims — a novel twist on parasitic behavior.
Unearthed in Myanmar, the fossil shows that insect evolution once produced creatures even stranger than those alive today, expanding scientists’ understanding of ancient biodiversity.
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