If the writers of The Walking Dead are looking for some new plot twist for the show, perhaps they can figure out some way to get the Amplux dementor wasp from southeast Asia to Georgia. The wasp actually turns its victims into zombies before eating it alive. Gives you the chills, right?
The wasp was among 139 species of life that was discovered in the Greater Mekong region last year, according to the World Wildlife Foundation. The region covers territory in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Between 1997 and 2014, researchers have discovered an astonishing 2,216 species just in that one region.
The WWF “Magical Mekong” report found 90 plants, 23 reptiles, nine fish and one mammal that were previously unknown.
“The Greater Mekong’s unique ecosystems are truly the gift that keeps on giving, providing sanctuary for a treasure trove of species and critical benefits for millions of people across the region,” Teak Seng, Conservation Director for WWF-Greater Mekong, said in a statement. “As Magical Mekong reveals, the scientists behind these discoveries feel they are racing against the clock to document these species and strongly advocate for their protection before they disappear.”
As for the wasp itself, it is named after the dementor creatures in the Harry Potter books. Like those creatures, the wasp uses its venom to effectively stun a cockroach, making it lose control of its body. Then, the wasp will eat the cockroach alive.
“We've only skimmed the surface of new discoveries in the Greater Mekong,” WWF expert Thomas Gray told the AFP. He said that there are some species that may never be discovered because they are already extinct due to development and the wildlife black market.
image via Twitter from WWF