"I've seen a lot of strange insects, but this has to be one of the most peculiar-looking ones I've seen in a while," said one entomologist.

Bizarre parasitic wasps preserved in amber about 99 million years ago had trap-like abdomens that they may have used to immobilise other insects ...

An extinct species of parasitic wasp dating back nearly 99 million years was found preserved in amber, according to researchers.

They’ve named the wasp Sirenobethylus charybdis—a reference to the famous female sea monster of ancient Greek legend. The bug and its unique appearance likely represents a previously unknown ...

Preserved in amber, the wasp appears to have used a Venus flytrap-like structure on its body to grasp potential hosts.

Meet Sirenobethylus charybdis, a wasp that the team half-jokingly called a ‘Cretaceous flytrap’ for its rear being shaped ...

This structure likely allowed the wasp, named Sirenobethylus charybdis, to trap insects to shelter its larvae, showcasing a previously unseen evolutionary trait among insects. The structure was ...

The previously unknown species, now named Sirenobethylus charybdis, had a Venus flytrap-like structure on its abdomen that could have allowed it to trap other insects, the researchers reported ...

However, the hind wings aren’t its only striking features. S. charybdis appears to have evolved a unique, three-flapped abdominal setup similar to the leaves of a Venus flytrap. The paddle-like lower ...