Science Bulletins: Deadly Larvae Lure Predators

Amphibians that try to feed on the larvae of the Epomis beetle will find that they've bitten off more than they can chew. Rather than avoiding its predators, the larva lures them closer and then attacks, latching on tight with its hooked jaws and feeding parasitically. The latest Bio Bulletin from the Museum's Science Bulletins program highlights this unprecedented role reversal in the animal kingdom. View the story in AMNH's Hall of Biodiversity until November 14, 2011 or online. Science Bulletins is a production of the National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology (NCSLET), part of the Department of Education at the American Museum of Natural History. To watch more Science Bulletins, visit http://www.amnh.org/sciencebulletins Related Links An Unprecedented Role Reversal: Ground Beetle Larvae (Coleoptera: Carabidae) Lure Amphibians and Prey upon Them http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0025161 Tel Aviv University, Department of Zoology http://www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/departments/zoology/ Gil Wizen http://www.mnh.tau.ac.il/en/?cmd=people.120&act=read&id=133 Avital Gasith http://www.tau.ac.il/lifesci/departments/zoology/members/gasith/gasith.html