What is Syntretus perlmani?

Sept. 17, 2024

Researchers recently discovered a new species of parasitoid wasp named Syntretus perlmani that matures inside living adult fruit flies before bursting out, much like a scene from the Alien films.

About Syntretus perlmani:

It is a new species of parasitoid wasp.
It is the first wasp found to infect adult fruit flies, a stark contrast to related wasp species that usually target the larvae and pupae stages of flies.
These fruit fly invaders are considered parasitoids rather than parasites because they always kill their hosts unlike the latter, which generally leave them alive.
Female S. perlmani wasps use a specialised organ called an ovipositor to inject eggs directly into the abdomen of adult fruit flies.
Over the next 18 days, the eggs develop into wasp larvae, slowly growing inside the host until they eventually kill the fly by emerging out of its body.
The research team found evidence of S. perlmani across the eastern United States, including Mississippi, Alabama, and North Carolina.