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Via: www.youtube.com
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Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. That’s fun. But sometimes truth is scarier than fiction — and that’s terrifying. Take this new species of wasp, recently discovered in Thailand. They’re called Dementor wasps. Like, as in the Dementors from Harry Potter that suck out peoples souls. Because that’s what these wasps do.
Ampulex dementor is named after the Harry Potter creature because its venom “blocks receptors of the neurotransmitter octopamine, which renders cockroaches unable to direct their own bodies.” The wasp then drags the subdued cockroach to its lair and kills it.
This frighteningly real wasp was named by visitors to Berlin’s Nature Museum. Given a choice of names to vote for, visitors were quickly able to recognize the similarities between this nightmare bug and the ethereal horrors from the Harry Potter universe that torture and kill with their Dementor’s kiss.
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Thankfully, the Dementor wasps seem to be using their powers exclusively on cockroaches. For now.
