Bacterial Nanny: Beewolf grows microbe for protecting young
By Susan Milius
For a new twist on child care, consider the wasp called the European beewolf. The mom leaves a smear of bacteria near each of her eggs as protection against the perils of youth.
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This wasp carries an abundance of a particular bacterial species in glands in her antennae, reports Martin Kaltenpoth of the University of Würzburg in Germany. She applies a spot of white goo from these glands to a nursery chamber before she lays an egg. When the researchers covered the goo so that it didn’t contact the eggs and youngsters, most of the brood died from disease.