Meet Brad Pitt, the parasitic wasp

When you see it, you don’t exactly think “hearthrob movie star.”

But a Thai scientist seemed to think Brad Pitt was the perfect namesake for christening a new species of parasitic wasp discovered in India and South Africa by multinational research teams. Dr. Bunktika A. Butcher of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand was inspired by a poster of the movie star in her laboratory, under which she spent many hours studying, and decided to name a new species of wasp in his honor.

The newly discovered creature, which is deep brown with yellow on its head, antennae and legs, has been dubbed Conobregma bradpitti. The wasp is a parasite that lays its eggs in moth or butterfly caterpillars. The wasp cocoon then develops inside the animal it has parasited until it emerges.

The wasps have brightly colored wings and measure less than 2 mm.

Although the species’ behavior sounds grim, it can be potentially be helpful in agriculture because it could control the population of other species.

This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Meet Brad Pitt, the parasitic wasp."