''Ampulex'' is a large cosmopolitan

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...

s belonging to the family Ampulicidae. Most of the >130 species occur in the tropics, particularly in the Old World, and fewer than 15 are known from the

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...

; fewer than 5 species are native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

or the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, though the Old World species ''

Ampulex compressa The emerald cockroach wasp or jewel wasp (''Ampulex compressa'') is a solitary wasp of the family Ampulicidae. It is known for its unusual reproductive behavior, which involves stinging a cockroach and using it as a host for its larvae. It thus ...

'' has spread to virtually everywhere that its host roaches (esp. the genus ''

Periplaneta ''Periplaneta'' is a genus of cockroaches. Selected species Species include: * '' Periplaneta aboriginea'' Roth, 1994 * ''Periplaneta americana'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – American cockroach * ''Periplaneta australasiae'' (Fabricius, 1775) – Austr ...

'') can be found. The few species whose biology is known are parasitoids of

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a Paraphyly, paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are we ...

es; they typically inject venom into the roach that subdues or immobilizes it, and then lay one to two eggs between the legs of the defenseless roach.

Selected species

*'' Ampulex canaliculata''

Say Say may refer to: Music *''Say'' (album), 2008 album by J-pop singer Misono * "Say" (John Mayer song), 2007 *"Say (All I Need)", 2007 song by American pop rock band OneRepublic * "Say" (Method Man song), 2006 single by rapper Method Man * "Say" ( ...

, 1823 *''

'' Fabricius, 1781 – jewel wasp or emerald cockroach wasp *''

Ampulex dementor ''Ampulex dementor'' is a species of cockroach wasp native to Thailand, described in 2014 by Michael Ohl of the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, Germany. The species name was selected by visitors to the museum in an effort to raise awareness a ...

'' Ohl, 2014 *'' Ampulex fasciata'' Jurine, 1807 *'' Ampulex ferruginea'' Bradley, 1934 *''

Ampulex ruficollis ''Ampulex'' is a large cosmopolitan genus of wasps belonging to the family Ampulicidae. Most of the >130 species occur in the tropics, particularly in the Old World, and fewer than 15 are known from the New World; fewer than 5 species are nativ ...

'' Cameron, 1889 For further species see ITIS.

References

Ampulicidae Biological pest control wasps Apoidea genera {{Apoidea-stub