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When a predator dares get too close to a female wasp, she can use her ovipositor — her egg-laying tube organ — to deliver a painful, venomous jab.

These multi-purpose ovipositors are “some of the most medically and economically important body parts on the planet,” said Catherine Linnen, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Kentucky, who was not involved with the study.

When an adult wasp locates ash borer eggs or larvae, it uses a tubelike organ called an ovipositor to deposit its babies.

Next, they align the female’s ovipositor with the male’s pouch opening so the female can deposit her eggs.

Usually about an hour later, the female will search for a tender tree branch, slice into it with her swordlike ovipositor, and lay eggs in the space.