Waspzilla! The fearsome flying beast discovered in the jungle with jaws longer than its front legs

By CHRIS MURPHY

The warrior wasp was found on the remote Indonesian island of Sulawesi. It has been named 'Garuda' after the part-human, part-eagle mythical beast

It sounds like the stuff of nightmares - a wasp that supplements a vicious sting with jaws longer than its front legs.

But this is a very real newly discovered warrior wasp found on the remote Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

Dubbed the 'Komodo dragon' of the wasp family, the males of the species measure two-and-a-half inches long.


How the common British wasp (vespula vulgaris) compares to the newly discovered warrior


Entomologist Lynn Kimsey of the University of California, Davis, encountered the wasps during a recent expedition to the island.

The UC Davis Department of Entomology said they picked the name warrior wasp because of its huge ninja-like mandibles.

Ms Kimsey, who is also director at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, said: 'Its jaws are so large that they wrap up either side of the head when closed. When the jaws are open they are actually longer than the male's front legs. I don't know how it can walk.'


The wasp has jaws longer than its legs


Luckily the species prefers to dine on insects, but if threatened it could leave a sizeable mark on human flesh too.

Ms Kimsey plans to name it 'Garuda' after the part-human, part-eagle mythical beast that is well-known as a national symbol in Indonesia.

Ms Kimsey and a team of researchers have received a five-year, £2.5 million grant to study the island's rich biodiversity.

She hopes that the discovery of the warrior wasp and other surprising new creatures will help raise awareness about just how unique and precious the region is.

'"There's talk of forming a biosphere reserve to preserve this,' she said. 'There are so many rare and endangered species on Sulawesi that the world may never see.'

source: dailymail