Giant 'warrior wasp' discovered with jaws longer than its legs

[eppur_se_muova]

By Bryan NelsonTue, Aug 23 2011 at 5:30 PM EST

It sounds like a creature envisioned in a B-grade horror movie: a giant, predatory wasp with jaws so large that they drag when it walks. But that's exactly what entomologist Lynn Kimsey of the University of California, Davis, encountered during a recent expedition to the remote Indonesian island of Sulawesi, according to the UC Davis Department of Entomology.

The new species, dubbed a "warrior wasp" due to its huge ninja-like mandibles, is a terrifying sight up close. It is also being called the "Komodo dragon" of the wasp family due to its intimidating size. Males can measure in at over two and a half inches, jaws included.

"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," noted Kimsey, who is also director at the Bohart Museum of Entomology.

Luckily it prefers to dine on insects, but if threatened there's little doubt it could leave a sizeable mark on human flesh too.

Though the wasp belongs to the genus Dalara, Kimsey plans to name the species "Garuda" after the part-human, part-eagle mythical beast that is well-known as a national symbol in Indonesia.
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more: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/giant-warrior-wasp-discovered-with-jaws-longer-than-its-legs?hpt=hp_bn11

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalara_garuda