The scientific name of the Apraxis wasp (Vesania effervo) can be translated to mean "the madness swarm," which is an apt description. They are considered part of the family Braconidae, although there are severe morphological differences between the Apraxis and all other known Braconidae wasps. It was theorized by Miguel De Luca (Covenant, mid-1500s) that the Apraxis originated "not in this world, but in the deepest pits of hell." Given their evolutionary divergences from all known parasitic wasps, and genetic similarity to the Johrlac, this theory cannot be fully dismissed.
Due to the tendency of the Apraxis wasp to attack and attempt to consume whatever it encounters, most study performed upon them has been posthumous, and has not always been conducted on intact specimens. While we would of course like to have more knowledge about the life cycle and behavior of the Apraxis, it is too risky to attempt observation; the standard protocol for Apraxis encounters remains "kill on sight." Assuming they don't manage to kill you first.
The natural range of the Apraxis wasp is unknown. They seem to prefer warm, humid areas within easy hunting range of large livestock or human settlements, and are rarely sighted in desert environments. Given their potentially extra-worldly origins, we may never know for certain where the original Apraxis nests were located. As we have no real desire to firebomb a continent, this has been deemed acceptable.
BIOLOGY
The Apraxis wasp is biologically similar to their smaller cousins in the Braconidae family. They possess a chitinous outer shell, protecting their soft internal organs, a distinct thorax, and segmented antennae. Sexual dimorphism is minimal, although females may be slightly larger than males. In an established hive, the gender ratio will be fairly even. In an immature hive, the ratio may run as much as seventy-five percent female, with this increased female birthrate serving to raise their breeding potential at a much higher rate.
The size of Apraxis wasps indicates that they should collapse under their own weight, unable to draw sufficient air through their abdomens. Posthumous study has shown that they possess rudimentary lungs, accounting for both their size and their ability to mimic human speech. The brains of Apraxis wasps are proportionate to their bodies, explaining their near-human intelligence.
Apraxis wasps reproduce by implanting eggs into living flesh, preferably mammalian. The eggs will hatch in under a week in a living host, maturing into nymphs. After the last of the nymphs has hatched, they will begin to secrete a paralytic sedative, forcing their host into a near-comatose state. Eggs will take longer to hatch in a deceased host, but will still mature; more than one supposedly destroyed hive has been resurrected when not all the bodies of the fallen were checked for infestation.
Samples of preserved Apraxis nymphs can be viewed in the Portland collection. These nymphs were extracted from the body of Alice Price-Healy, following the death of her father, Jonathan Healy.
DESCRIPTION
Apraxis wasps most closely resemble the Japanese giant hornet in coloration, although they are constructed more like a paper wasp or common yellow jacket. Assuming you could find a paper wasp the size of a large kitten, that is. Their red, yellow, and black coloration makes them easy to spot in many environments, although the Apraxis wasp's native intelligence makes it very likely to hide itself while hunting.
BEHAVIOR
Apraxis wasps live in hives numbering anywhere from one to one hundred. The largest recorded Apraxis hive contained over one hundred and twenty individuals when it was destroyed; the number of juveniles, however, indicated that it may have been preparing to divide into two smaller hives, thus explaining the increased birthrate. Unlike most social insects, Apraxis wasps do not have queens; instead, they practice a form of communal government which places the survival of the hive ahead of the survival of any given individual.
The most feared attribute of the Apraxis is also the one which makes their hive structure possible. The Apraxis is a low-level acquisitionial telepath. Nymphs which mature in the flesh of a sapient being will emerge with the knowledge and memories of their host, allowing them to refine their hunting behaviors whenever they enter a new territory. Adult Apraxis will often sacrifice their own lives to implant their eggs in a host viewed as "useful." This hunting behavior frequently brings them into conflict with both human and cryptid settlements.
OF NOTE
The only things the Apraxis wasps actively fear are the Johrlac. Even an established hive will flee when a Johrlac enters an area. Strange as it may seem, the presence of the cuckoos is sometimes the only thing that saves us.
Artwork by Kory Bing.