ROUND 1: MATCH 21

showing him the wonders of nature ☺️

You wouldn’t last an hour in the asylum where they raised me

YAY YAY YIPPEE 🦑🦑🦑

prince and his tower

Researchers have discovered a new species of rove beetle that grows a termite puppet on its back to fool real termites into feeding it. The replica is so precise, it even mirrors the termites’ distinct body segments and has three pairs of pseudo-appendages that resemble antennae and legs.

The new beetle species (Austrospirachtha carrijoi)—found beneath the soil in Australia’s Northern Territory—emulates a termite by enlarging its abdomen, a phenomenon known as physogastry. Evolution has reshaped this body part into a highly realistic replica of a termite (as seen above), head and all, which rides on top of the rest of the beetle’s body. The beetle’s real, much smaller head peeks out from beneath its termite disguise, the authors report this month in the journal Zootaxa. The termite “puppet” may help the beetle evade detection—though termites are blind, they sense one another through touch.

Because A. carrijoi’s mouth parts are tiny, the authors think it begs food from its hosts rather than eating eggs or larvae. Worker termites feed other castes digested food in a process called trophallaxis. This adaptation has obvious advantages to the beetle. Once it is inside the nest, it can relax and spend the rest of its life living off of termite room service.

Words by Richard Pallady

im on ARTFIGHT with FRESH new cog ocs watch your backs

i've made a new commission sheet! this one's cooler and more epic... if youre interested just send me a tumblr dm or something of the sort, perhaps hunt me down on a different social media and talk to me there. i'm also on discord if you prefer that. just ask on the aforementioned dms and i am willing to move there.

i would also like to make it clear that i do not accept being paid after my work is finished. i am willing to wait until i finish a sketch but past that i will only continue working when paid upfront.

Be kind, We all have rent to pay, thank you for your time.

Chinese Shield Mantis (Asiadodis yunnanensis), family Mantidae, from Yunnan, China, above a Tropical Shield Mantis (Choeradodis rhomboidea), family Mantidae, from Perú

photograph via: mantisparadise