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Beetle grows ‘termite’ on back to steal food (www.science.org)
submitted 11 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/entomology@mander.xyz
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[-] KLISHDFSDF@lemmy.ml 1 points 11 months ago

question to anyone who may know - aren't termites like ants where they identify via scent and not sight? If so, from an evolutionary view, what might lead to this morphology?

[-] unicorn@mander.xyz 2 points 11 months ago

From the article:

The termite “puppet” may help the beetle evade detection—though termites are blind, they sense one another through touch. The beetle may also absorb unique chemicals called cuticular hydrocarbons from the termites or produce similar compounds in order to enhance the perception that it is a termite as well.

this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2023
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