Mechanisms of ovipositor insertion and steering of a parasitic wasp

Significance Using slender probes to drill through solids is challenging, but desirable, due to minimal disturbances of the substrate. Parasitic wasps drill into solid substrates and lay eggs in hosts hidden within using slender probes and are therefore a good model for studying mechanical challenges associated with this process. We show that wasps are able to probe in any direction with respect to their body orientation and use two methods of insertion. One of the methods implies a minimal net pushing force during drilling. Steering was achieved by adjusting the asymmetry of the probe’s distal end. Knowledge on probing mechanisms of wasps is important for the understanding of the hymenopteran evolution and for the development of minimally invasive steerable probes.