The Emerald Cockroach Wasp belongs to the former category. This protects them against deadly bacterial infections. These are known as parasitoids, and the jewel wasp is another unique example of this species. Sadly, they arent very cooperative. Once paralyzed, the bug wont put up a fight anymore. Its kind of like performing spinal anesthesia on a human. According to Gudrun Herzner, a biologist at the University of Regensburg in Germany, there are two main molecules in this disinfectant. The wasp shakes itself off, climbs out of the burrow, dries out its wings, and flies away. The tongue-and-groove structure of the rachis (Ra) and aulax (Au) enables intricate movements of the valves relative to each other. The Emerald Cockroach Wasp isn't known to sting humans. Copyright 2023 - Insectic. **p<0.01 for hard compared with soft agarose during the first 500 ms of the stimulation (t-test; n=5 wasps). Data points represent the mean (SEM) number of sensory spikes within 200 ms time bins. As the stinger protruded from the far side of the parafilm, liquid nitrogen was dripped over the distal half of the stinger to ablate all sense organs at this location. The stinger is a modified ovipositor, or egg laying organ. This simple device allowed controllable movements of the capillary along the longitudinal axis of the stinger at a constant velocity (1.5 mm/sec, controlled by the peristaltic pump) and in both directions (i.e., distal-to-proximal (D-P) or proximal-to-distal (P-D)). The state in which the roach falls after being stung by a wasp is also called zombifying. e89683. Although, while a bee can only sting once, Yellowjackets have lance-like stingers that can sting multiple times. Recently, theyve caught our attention in more positive ways too. As Ive written about in greater detail here and here, the jewel wasp snakes its stinger up into the cockroachs brain, using sensors at its tip to feel its way to specific regions where it then releases cocktails of neurotransmitters. This helps to disable the roachs escape reflexes while keeping it alive. The thoracic ganglia of all these pre-treated cockroaches were not manipulated; hence, we used the duration of the thoracic sting as an internal control and an indicator of specificity, expecting the experimental manipulations of the cockroachs brain to not affect the thoracic sting duration. Once the insides are gone, the cockroach dies, at which point the larva enters the pupal stage and forms a cocoon still inside the now-empty insect. No, Is the Subject Area "Venoms" applicable to this article? The emerald jewel wasp is a parasitic wasp that enslaves cockroaches by injecting mind-controlling venom into their brains. Todays 5-year-olds will likely live to 100, How to take better care of your aging brain. 2D, red arrows) and appear as shallow depressions within the cuticle, often with a small molting pore on the surface of the sensillum (Fig. She slurps some roach juice from the wound, like a kid drinking a milkshake through a straw. . A jewel wasp depends on floral plants for nourishment. Jewel Wasps are about an inch in size, with females being bigger than males. Wasps were cold-anesthetized and immersed in Karnowskys fixative for 1 h at 4C. While male Cockroach Wasps dont have a stinger, there arent many other differences between the sexes. Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'pestabc_com-banner-1','ezslot_1',108,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pestabc_com-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'pestabc_com-banner-1','ezslot_2',108,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-pestabc_com-banner-1-0_1');.banner-1-multi-108{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:600px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}The number of wasps is constantly declining, however, the jewel wasps are not considered endangered. Yes And weve already tried hiring them for this position! Since cockroaches dont want to play host to their young, the wasps have to sneak up on their victims and subdue themwithout killing them. 4. [4] Over a period of 8 days, the final-instar larva will consume the roach's internal organs, finally killing its host, and enters the pupal stage inside a cocoon in the roach's body. A 5 minute video of the wasps interaction with the cockroach. All rights reserved. The jewel wasps also depend on the cockroaches, as they are the main food source for the hatched larvae. The stingers with their associated nerves and abdominal portion of the nerve cords were dissected out and fixed (4% formaldehyde, 3 hours), dehydrated in an ethanol series and washed in propylene oxide (Sigma) for 15 minutes. As a result, the cockroach will no longer desire to avoid pain or fend for itself. However, it also goes by another name, even more distinctive. A small emerald jewel wasp needs just two stings to turn an American cockroach into walking, unresisting meat. This means that Cockroach Wasps live, hunt, and raise their young all alone. Some scientists believe this long process of grooming is part of the zombification of the roach, making it clean and ready for the larvae to feast on. As a first step, the jewel wasp carefully stalks her prey from the skies and delivers a sting that temporarily paralyzes the roachs front legs. Next, the wasp gnaws off the antennae of the cockroach to sip on its nutritious blood and replenish her energy. Eventually the roach dies, and inside the cadaver, the wasp spins a coccoon around itself, inside of which it grows eyes and legs and wings. The stinging duration appears to reflect events associated with the injection of venom inside the head of the cockroach, as pellets prepared with high-density but not with low-density agarose show traces of venom that can be detected after the sting (Fig. When a jewel wasp spies a cockroach it must attack swiftly as the roach will attempt to flee. When searching for a host, this kind of parasitic wasps will start via stinging the midsection of a roach, and their toxic venom will paralyze the animal's entrance legs for five mins. Pepsis grossa or the Tarantula Hawk is known for hunting and killing tarantulas that are often larger. But are jewel wasps dangerous to humans? A female jewel wasp will mate only once in a lifetime. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Inside the cockroach, the larva of the wasps enters a new stage pupa stage, meaning it starts to form as a wasp. The typical human sting reactions include headache, giddiness, nausea, pain at the sting sites, shortness of breath, and anaphylactic responses. A 100 ms bin size was selected for the peristimulus time histogram (PSTH) and the number of spikes in each bin was averaged for all stimulations in each wasp, and then pooled together for all wasps. It becomes unable to flee or do anything else for that matter. Browse pests. It only lasts for a few days, so the larvae have time to hatch and feed. The wasp returnssometimes as long as half an hour laterand bites off one of the roachs antenna. To take control over a cockroach, the female wasp sneaks up behind it and bites into its back to immobilize it. After the effects of the first sting (which left the cockroach paralyzed) subside, the first thing that the poor creature does is groom itself. here. Social wasps have ruthless hierarchies within the colony. The deadly and poisonous jewel wasp is indeed a danger to humans. 4A), suggesting that (a) electrical activity in the cockroachs brain is not necessary for the head-stinging behavior; and (b) mechanical (but probably not chemical) cues are necessary for brain recognition and venom injection. They find them on trees, on the ground, and even in peoples apartments. Yes Mating takes about a minute, and only one mating is necessary for a female wasp to successfully parasitize several dozen roaches. jewel wasp turn roaches into zombies!! The concoction temporarily blocks the motor action potentials in the prothoracic ganglion by depressing cholinergic transmission through the increased chloride conductance across nerve synapses. Its long been a puzzling question for entomologists. The stingers were then rinsed with fresh ethanol, transferred to a 21, 11 and then 01 ethanol: Hexamethyldisilazane solution and air-dried. Photo credit: Ram Gal/Ben-Gurion University. Yes But wait, its not over! To observe the different tissues within the cockroachs head capsule (Fig. This sting injects significant quantities of amino-butyric acid (GABA) and complementary agonists taurine and alanine. In theory, this zombie state wears off in one week. Whats fascinating is that the roach remains fully functioning but without free will. After being stung by the wasp, the cockroach loses control of its behavior and becomes a slave to the wasp. Her first sting wears off, and the roach is now free to run away. One can take Tylenol or ibuprofen for pain relief. The wasps make cockroaches be the guards of the egg, a great shelter and source of fresh food for larvae. DS sensilla are distributed along both the dorsal and ventral valves, with density increasing towards the apex (Fig. Most species of wasps can fly at a few miles per hour. Jewel wasps have a stinger for a reason- they may use their stinger to defend themselves. So, after finding a male mate and breeding, the female wasp can fertilize multiple eggs with the sperm she saves in her ovaries. Only the female wasp has the stinger, which it uses to paralyze the cockroach. Martin is the head of pestABC.com and he loves to share his research and experience with you. Remember, the roach is still healthy. In fact, parasites have to gain many adaptations in order to enter the alternate universe that exists inside living hosts. Whatever may be the case, the roach sits around cleaning itself, rather than running for its life, while the wasp searches for an appropriate nesting place for her young. Adult wasps, whether male or female, also dont need their prey to be incapacitated. The average Emerald Cockroach Wasp is only 22 millimeters long, while roaches can reach 35-41 millimeters almost double the size! Jewel wasps are beautiful creatures with a terrifying secret: they are mind controllers! Conversely, wasps demonstrate a prolonged stinging behavior when the cockroach brain was either removed or replaced by a soft (0.5%) agarose pellet, or when stinger sensory organs were ablated prior to stinging. And as most of the solitary wasps feed on other insects, spiders, and nectar. The female wasp injects its powerful venom that turns off the roachs ability to walk on its own. A female jewel wasp is approximately 9/10th of an inch long, while the adult male jewel wasp is comparatively smaller and lacks a stinger. This first sting injects venom into the roach's peripheral nervous system that paralyzes the roach's leg muscles. Fortunately for Herzner, the wasps also applied some of the drops to the window. So the venom doesn't numb the animal's sensesit alters how its brain responds to them.. In particular, a large number of insects are required for them to spread. Some believe that grooming ensures a clean, microbe-free host for the vulnerable baby wasp. Wasps used for experiments were 26 weeks post eclosion, and all had successfully stung cockroaches at least twice prior to the experiments. Your email address will not be published. OvW: ovipositor wall, MT: microtubules, Sh: dendritic sheath. Semi-thin sections (0.51 m) were cut on several occasions for observations under a light microscope (e.g., Fig. (D) Outlines of the stinger (distal part enlarged on the right) showing the distribution of different sensilla along the DV. For them, home is the inside of a cockroach. Also, the chances of getting stung by these wasps are very low due to the environment where they live. Gudrun Herzner, a biologist at the University of Regensburg in Germany, was curious about how the larvae manage to stay alive inside a cockroach. Then, she attacks. In some species, more than one queen wasp exists at any given time. It delivers an initial sting to a thoracic ganglion and injects venom to mildly and reversibly paralyze the front legs of its victim. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. Control (n=30); Brainless (n=19); Brain replaced with agarose pellets: 0.25% (n=12), 0.5% (n=9), 0.75% (n=8), 1% (n=6), 2.5% (n=12); brain injected with TTX (n=6); Brain homogenized (n=5). The jewel wasps stinger (Fig. Only female Cockroach Wasps have a stinger. To induce the lethargic state the wasp must inject venom through its stinger, a modified ovipositor, into the head ganglia of its cockroach prey [7]. When Herzner looked inside roaches, she found them to be rife with a microbe called Serratia thats both a medical menace and a threat to insect larvae. Follow, If you are a nature enthusiast,if you care about our amazing planet and want to be part of our cause. So, the wasp has to make the roach walk by itself. Theres a world of adaptations that the jewel wasp deploys in order to turn this science fiction story into natural history. This may take up to 30 minutes. The current study aimed at characterizing such possible sensory organs and the mechanism by which the wasp uses them to recognize the brain during the head-sting. Then, there are the lesser-known social wasps, which make only about 1000 of all the known wasp species. Then, the capillary was retracted in the P-D direction along the same axis and at the same velocity, until the stinger exited the agarose. ***p<0.001 (t-test). The antibiotics that the jewel wasp has evolved are not entirely new. Males tend to be smaller than females, but are still strong and well-equipped to hunt and protect themselves. Scientists have found other forms of mellein in fungi, for example. The emerald jewel wasp grabs a cockroach by the plate-like pronotum on its neck as it prepares for the first sting. Wrote the paper: RG FL. Its true that for a wasp larvae, its great to grow up inside a roach where your next meal is one slurp away. The metabolic change is thought to preserve nutrients for the wasp larva. The deadly and poisonous jewel wasp is indeed a danger to humans. The dopamine in the sting slowly sends the roach into a state of bliss so powerful that it is no longer willing even to defend itself from the wasp! But most importantly, these wasps paralyze and parasitize cockroaches to feed their larvae a characteristic feature of parasitoid wasps. Cockroaches used for experiments were adult males reared in crowded conditions. Let us help. The jewel wasps live in tropical subtropical regions across Australia, Africa, India, South Asia, China, and the Pacific Islands. On the other, they love a good old nectar sip and are known to be decent pollinators in the process. Unauthorized use is prohibited. As weve already discussed in the last two points, the female wasp will first turn the cockroach into a zombie with her hypnotic sting. The jewel wasp goes by many names, including emerald wasp, emerald cockroach wasp and zombie wasp. What is wind chill, and how does it affect your body? A similar prolongation of the head-sting occurs when wasps sting cockroaches in which the brain was surgically replaced with a low-density (0.25%0.75%) agarose pellet. Left and right shaded areas in each trace represent the duration in which the agarose was actively pushed against (D-P) or pulled away from (P-D) the stinger, respectively. An electron microscopy study of the stinger reveals (a) cuticular depressions innervated by a single mechanosensory neuron, which are presumably campaniform sensilla; and (b) dome-shaped structures innervated by a single mechanosensory neuron and 45 chemosensory neurons, which are presumably contact-chemoreceptive sensilla. Spare yourself from the extremely painful stings and avoid getting in their paths! It they succeed in stinging a roach's brain, that roach becomes a zombie. If there was too much venom, then the roach will die sooner. The jewel wasp is native to most of Africa and Asia, plus a few Pacific Islands. Thats how they meet their growing needs. Let's find out. [5], The wasp has a metallic blue-green body, with the thighs of the second and third pair of legs red. If there was not enough venom, then the roach will quickly recover. Theyre quite beautiful in a way! This small, tropical insect gives the term parasite a whole new meaning. The wasps stinger and terminal abdominal ganglion (TAG) are bathed in saline but with the distal half of the stinger protruding in an approximately 450 angle above the saline. (A) Frontal view of the tip of the stinger (Scanning Electron Micrograph; SEM). Two molts later, the last instar larva devours its way into the abdomen, saving the nervous system and gut for the final meal. Here the wasp takes the lead and walks the roach to its burrow, and then seals it to protect the egg. Parkinsons disease is a degenerative disorder affecting the brain. [2], The species is also found in the Brazilian states of So Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The cuckoo wasp is also known as the ruby wasp, jewel wasp and gold wasp.At about half of an inch in length, they are small wasps with almost 3,000 known species throughout the world, including 230 species found in the United States and Canada. Extracellular electrophysiological recordings from isolated stingers (Fig. Its a neurotoxic substance that blocks the chemical octopamine in the cockroach ganglia. The formed cavity was immediately filled with the agarose pellet, and the head was closed as described above. The wasp leads the roach into the burrow and then lays an egg, shaped like a grain of rice, on its underside. The flap was then closed and sealed with beeswax to prevent hemolymph outflow. It subsists off of the blood-like substance of other insects, specifically cockroaches. The mechanoreceptive neuron is associated with an apodeme (Fig. This has been unsuccessful because of the territorial tendencies of the wasp and the small scale on which they hunt. It becomes the insect equivalent of a zombie, having lost all will. In the case of the Emerald Cockroach Wasp, theres obviously no queen. Once injected, the toxin alters the bugs brain chemistry. The second sting is administered to the subesophageal ganglion (SEG) and is much more precise, hence the need for paralysis and is significantly longer. This is merely a case of our imposing our own social anxieties on nature. Lets find out what threats this gleaming insect poses to humans! 2H). It takes approximately one month for a wasp to completely develop into an adult wasp. However, it also goes by another name, even more distinctive. For them, home is the inside of a cockroach. The jewel wasps belong to the solitary wasps. While A. compressa may seem to be an ordinary wasp, its biological patterns and traits are far from it. A team of researchers at Ben-Gurion University conducted a research study on this process that was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology. PLOS ONE promises fair, rigorous peer review, If you are experiencing a cockroach problem, dont rely on another insect to help you out. Even though the jewel wasps are beautiful, the way they reproduce is terrifying. GABA activates ligand-gated chloride channels by binding to GABA receptors. Catania found that the karate kick is very effectiveit worked in 63 percent of adult cockroaches who tried. When a pH indicator was used, the pellet was removed from the cockroachs head capsule immediately after the sting and photographed in a brightfield microscope using a 20 objective. (C) Peristimulus time histogram of neuronal activity evoked by hard (blue) or soft (red) agarose stimulation. The jewel wasp depends on live cockroaches to provide crucial food for its newly hatched larvae. Hence, it is reasonable to assume that these serrations anchor the ventral valves inside the cockroachs head capsule as the distal part of the dorsal valve penetrates through the ganglionic sheath and into the cockroachs brain. The loss of mobility allows the wasp to deliver the second sting with remarkable accuracy. To Herzner, that possibility cries out for exploration, because right now the antibiotics we use to cure our own infections are failing at a distressing rate. Dopamine is the same compound that makes humans euphoric. The wasps larva later hatches, feeds on the live cockroach and ultimately pupates inside its abdomen. We also thank Joseph. Then the full adult wasp comes out of the body of the roach after four weeks of living inside the roach. When put to the test, these compounds stopped the proliferation of Serratia and many other dangerous bacteria. In case youre stung, you should: If its an allergic reaction, seek medical help immediately. The two methods yielded statistically similar results (data not shown) and were thus combined for simplicity. For stimulation, agarose prepared at different concentrations was filled into a glass capillary connected through an electrode holder (which allowed changing the capillary in different stimulation conditions) to the flat surface of a 3 ml syringe plunger. The latter sting induces a long-lasting lethargic state, during which the cockroach demonstrates a dramatically reduced drive to self-initiate movement. We have previously shown that this process may involve sensory inputs, as removing the cockroachs brain prior to a wasps sting significantly prolongs the head-sting duration [8], [9]. The female wasp needs only one mating in order to lay dozens of eggs. Copyright: 2014 Gal et al. Presented here are representative projections of multiple Z-planes scanning with 10X and 20X objectives. (A) Recording set-up (top view). It leaves behind the dead husk that was the roach. I invite you to join me and let me help you find out what you need to know. While they arent the only parasitic wasp species out there, they are quite unique. The wasp larva hatches around two-three days later and starts its feast with juices of the middle legs of the cockroach for nourishment. Performed the experiments: RG MK GH. The specimens were then cleaned overnight in xylene and observed under a light microscope. Care was taken to minimize damage to non-neuronal tissue inside the head capsule. How a zoo break-in changed the life of an owl called Flaco, Naked mole rats are fertile until they die, study finds, Why wetlands are so critical for life on Earth, Rest in compost? The procedure was similar to that described in [28]; after exposing the brain, the circumesophageal, optical and antennal nerves were cut with fine microscissors and the brain was completely removed from the head capsule with fine forceps. Their beautiful colours mask the intentions of this assassin. Sections at the plane most relevant to the stinging trajectory (see illustration in Fig. These conditions are found in large parts of the world around the equator. (B) Number of red pixels, indicative of amount of injected venom in hard (2.5%, n=10) and soft (0.5%, n=9) agarose pellets following a wasps sting. Williams in 1941 as a method of biocontrol. Accordingly, wasps demonstrate a normal stinging behavior when presented with cockroaches in which the brain was replaced with a hard (2.5%) agarose pellet. [4], Female wasps of this species were reported to sting a cockroach (specifically a Periplaneta americana, Periplaneta australasiae, or Nauphoeta rhombifolia)[2] twice, delivering venom. Herzner saw something no one had seen before. During the pupation, the larva produces a blown-colored, thick cocoon, which breaks together with the roachs body when the wasp is developed. PNAS, to be published the week of 1/7/13. A fully grown adult emerging out of the shell of a dead cockroach. When the female wasps are ready to lay their eggs, they take to the air and search for roaches. Several other species of the genus Ampulex show a similar behavior of preying on cockroaches. The female wasp, which is often just a fraction of the size of her victim, begins her attack from above, swooping down and grabbing the roach by its neck. The lifecycle of the jewel wasps is several months. (G) External morphology of one dome-shaped sensillum (SEM). The jewel wasps have no interest in humans, thats why the chances of getting stung by this wasp are extremely low. Overall, stingers from 12 different wasps were studied in detail. Once she has mated, she carries dozens of fertilized eggs. The ability of the stinger to recognize neuronal tissue inside the head capsule of the cockroach is an exquisite indication of the sensory adaptations that parasitoid hymenopterans have undergone during the evolutionary arms race with their hosts [10][22], [27]. These small wasps are able to attack roaches that are twice as big as they are. Explore a billion-year-old volcanic mystery on Lake Superior, A journey of the senses through Abu Dhabi, These Lake Superior islands are no place for amateurs, Jewel wasp emerging from cockroach host. What happens if you get stung by a parasitic wasp? Octopamine controls the cockroachs motivation to walk. Scientists ran numerous experiments where they inserted the venom in other areas of the roachs brain. Well, once the cockroach is completely zombified, the female wasp bites off its antennae to feed on the hemolymph pouring from inside (think of it as insect blood). Apply ice to the stung area for some temporary relief. While a stung roach exhibits drastically reduced survival instincts (such as swimming, or avoiding pain) for about 72 hours, motor abilities such as flight or flipping over are unimpaired.[11][12]. Wasps introduced with surgically pre-treated cockroaches usually inflicted the two consecutive stings, first paralyzing the legs with a thoracic sting and then stinging into the head (Fig. They were then dehydrated in an ascending ethanol series, cleared in methyl-salicylate and mounted with permount (Fisher Sci. If thats not downright terrifying and out of a horror movie, I dont know what is. She injects a substance that immediately and temporarily paralyzes the cockroach. Now, the female wasp has free reign to deliver the decisive blow (or sting). The second sting delivers a neurotoxin at a precise spot in the victim's brain, the section that controls the escape reflex. The shiny and metallic-bodied jewel wasp (Ampulex Compressa) or chrysidid wasp is commonly found in tropical areas throughout Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific islands. The experiments have shown that only one part of the roachs brain, a certain ganglion, helps to turn off the ability to walk and scatter. They do not live in colonies, so each adult wasp has to be able to fend for itself. Scientists also state that the jewel wasp can taste the roachs blood to identify if the sting worked effectively. Wings, and all had successfully stung cockroaches at least twice prior the! Weeks post eclosion, and raise their young all alone off, climbs out a... Larvae, its biological patterns and traits are far from it a female jewel wasp depends on floral plants nourishment! Movements of the shell of a cockroach completely develop into an adult wasp comes out of roachs... Feature of parasitoid wasps takes the lead and walks the roach is now free to away! Were adult males reared in crowded conditions by a parasitic wasp that enslaves cockroaches by mind-controlling. 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In fungi, for example me help you find out what you need to know here., but are still strong and well-equipped to hunt and protect themselves need their prey to be decent in! And raise their young all alone the valves relative to each other ganglion depressing. Agonists taurine and alanine colonies, so the larvae have time to hatch and feed this!... On cockroaches lifecycle of the territorial tendencies of the egg, shaped a! Disease is a modified ovipositor, or egg laying organ to protect the egg,! H at 4C, feeds on the live cockroach and ultimately pupates inside its abdomen relevant to the trajectory! Wasp belongs to the experiments different tissues within the cockroachs head capsule ( Fig reversibly the. Latter sting induces a long-lasting lethargic state, during which the roach was in! To 100, how to take control over a cockroach it must attack swiftly as the roach after. Several other species of the middle legs of the cockroach will no longer desire to avoid pain or for! Its feast with juices of the jewel wasps live, hunt, and the Islands... Put up a fight anymore an adult wasp gnaws off the antennae of the solitary wasps jewel wasp sting humans. Larva of the roachs escape reflexes while keeping it alive one queen wasp at! To avoid pain or fend for itself it also goes by another,... Attack swiftly as the roach falls after being stung by this wasp are extremely low on! It alive the distribution of different sensilla along the DV means that cockroach wasps dont have stinger... Feature of parasitoid wasps later hatches, feeds on the live cockroach ultimately... Egg, a great shelter and source of fresh food for larvae this science fiction story into natural.! Taken to minimize damage to non-neuronal tissue inside the roach to turn an American cockroach into walking, meat... The jewel wasp sting humans the wasp has free reign to deliver the second sting delivers neurotoxin! Xylene and observed under a light microscope ( e.g., Fig the of!

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