The Wasp That Reprograms Spiders

The video explores the parasitic relationship between Zatopoda Wasps and social spiders, Anelosimus eximius, in Ecuador. These wasps lay eggs on spiders, causing the spiders to exhibit ancestral behaviors like leaving their communal webs to build cocoons. The wasp larvae manipulate the spiders by injecting hormones, leading to altered web-building behaviors. This parasitism ensures the wasps' survival by providing a constant stream of hosts, effectively zombifying the spiders to serve the larvae's needs.

What is the primary lifestyle of the social spider Analosomus exemius?

• Predatory hunting

• Nomadic lifestyle

• Communal web-building

• Solitary web-building

How do Zatopoda Wasps benefit from targeting social spiders?

• They protect the spiders from predators.

• They increase the spiders' lifespan.

• They use the spiders as a food source for their larvae.

• They help the spiders build stronger webs.

What behavior do parasitized spiders exhibit due to the wasp larvae?

• They build larger communal webs.

• They spin protective cocoons.

• They hunt for food more aggressively.

• They become more social with other spiders.

What hormone is hypothesized to be injected by the wasp larvae into the spiders?

• Melatonin

• Adrenaline

• Ectosteroid

• Serotonin

What is the ultimate outcome for the spider host after being parasitized by the wasp larvae?

• The spider becomes a predator of the wasps.

• The spider is eaten by the larvae, which then emerge as wasps.

• The spider becomes a permanent host for multiple larvae.

• The spider gains immunity to future parasitism.