If you think things couldn't get any worse, here's a brand new wasp that can control minds

Scientists have discovered a new type of wasp, prevalent in the south east of the United States.

They have named this beast "Euderus set", Set being the Egyptian god of evil and chaos.

Luckily, they don't do this to people, just other wasps.

The following nightmare scenario occurs:

According to National Geographic the Set wasp lays its eggs inside a furrow in a tree created by gall wasps (Bassettia pallida).

The furrows are known as "crypts".

The eggs of the Set wasp hatch, and lava burrow into the body and brain of the Gall wasp (crypt-keeper).

Set wasps take control of the crypt-keeper's mind and force it to burrow out of the tree.

They make it drill an escape hole that's too small for it. Once it's trapped and the lava are ready, they eat the crypt-keeper from inside out, and burst forth into the word through its head.

Kelly Wienersmith, a parasitologist at Rice University told National Geographic.

Being stuck inside of a tight tunnel with no room to move, all the while having your insides eaten out...But it’s also awesome and amazing that a parasitoid has managed, through natural selection, to manipulate its host in this particularly cool way.

Yes. "Cool".

Wienersmith has published her findings on the Set wasp in the Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences.

This video from Rice University, featuring Wienersmith, takes a closer look at the Set.

HT National Geographic

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