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Sunday, November 22, 2009

Photo: Wasps Squirt "Pepper Spray" From Heads in Fights, Study Says


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Two female bethylid wasps face off over a host larva. When the parasitic wasps engage in particularly fierce battles, the loser squirts a potent chemical before beating a retreat, new research reveals.

The behavior could be likened to a human using pepper spray to distract an opponent and create an opportunity for escape, the scientists suggest.

Photograph by Sonia Dourlot/ Proceedings of the Royal Society B