Wasp named after 'Harry Potter' soulsuckers. Here's why
Digital Reporter
Wednesday, May 27, 2015, 4:51 PM - A carnivorous wasp out of Thailand is the latest species to be named for a famous reference in popular culture.
The ampulex dementor has been named after evil entities featured in the popular Harry Potter novel and film franchise.
The predatory insect is known for turning its prey into zombies before consuming them alive.
Yum.
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Fictional Dementors literally suck away the souls of their victims, leaving nothing but an empty shell behind. In the third installment of the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, a character known as Professor Lupin describes the Dementors as "the foulest creatures that walk this earth."
And the reality isn't much different.
Bearing physical markings similar to ants, the red and black wasp stalks its prey in disguise.
Once within reach, the wasp delivers the equivalent of a 'Dementor's kiss', injecting venom into its favourite meal, the cockroach. The neurotoxin then renders the roach immobile, left in a 'zombie-like' state so dinner time can begin.
'Dementors' are evil spirits who take the souls of their victims, as featured in the Harry Potter series
The naming of the new species was conducted via a contest held by a Berlin museum. About 300 people were asked to vote on one of four possible options for a name, and 'dementor' was decided to be most fitting.
The 'dementor' wasp was one of 139 new species discovered Greater Mekong region in 2014, according to a report from the World Wildlife Fund. The region along the Mekong River encompasses Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Washington Post | WWF
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