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In a record-breaking year for the Natural History Museum, scientists have discovered a staggering 815 new species, including an intriguing wasp that hatches inside other insects and devours them from within. This particularly gruesome wasp, along with 14 others, has been named "Dalek" after the iconic villains from Dr Who due to their metallic appearance and deadly behavior. Dr Gavin Broad, the museum's resident wasp expert, described the Dalek wasps as "a little bit sci-fi," highlighting their ability to lay eggs inside a plant louse, which the offspring later consumes for sustenance. The 619 new wasp species identified this year are largely the result of an expedition to Costa Rica, which led to the discovery of over 550 new wasps. These creatures play a vital role in controlling pest insects that pose a threat to important food crops like cassava in Africa

In fact, wasps are known for their ingenious and sometimes disturbing methods of utilizing other insects. Some wasps can paralyze or even control their hosts, manipulating spiders to spin specific webs that benefit the wasps. In addition to wasps, other captivating species were unearthed by the researchers. These include the largest penguin ever known to exist, the Kumimanu fordycei, which weighed as much as a gorilla. A tiny brown moth discovered in Ealing, West London, turned out to be a new species native to Western Australia and was named Tachystola mulliganae, honoring the enthusiast who found it. The list goes on, with 58 new species of beetles, including eye-catching darkling beetles from China and Laos, and long-snouted weevils from South Africa

Six stick insects from Australia, two bone-eating worms, and nine bristly worms were also among the newly described species. Moreover, 24 frog species were added to the record, with 20 of them being miniature species found in the forests of Madagascar. From Tanzania, the peculiar "voiceless" reed frog, Hyperolius ukaguruensis, stood out as one of the few frogs that do not communicate with other members of their species through vocalizations. Four new fossil bird species were classified, with Janavis finalidens, a toothed bird that lived during the era of the dinosaurs, attracting attention. Additionally, a previously undiscovered dinosaur with blade-like spiked armor was named on the Isle of Wight, marking the first armored dinosaur to receive this distinction in 142 years

Notably, scientists also identified the earliest-ever disease-causing fungus, named Potteromyces asteroxylicola after Beatrix Potter, the renowned author and fungi enthusiast. The year's discoveries also included 14 new meteorites, highlighting the museum's commitment to expanding humanity's understanding of the universe. Furthermore, as part of The Darwin Tree of Life project, any newly discovered species in the UK will have its DNA sequenced and added to a comprehensive database. The Natural History Museum's tireless efforts and remarkable findings have not only expanded our knowledge of the biodiversity on Earth but have also demonstrated the incredible diversity and ingenuity present in the natural world.