Ant Parasite, Pt. 3 - _TNY_9087
This orange tank of a beetle fleetingly resembles a ladybird/ladybug - but it isn't related at all. This is a four-spotted leaf beetle (Clytra quadripunctata).
If you find one, the odds are good there is an anthill nearby. The larvae of these crawl into ant colonies and live there, eating ant eggs and larvae. The larvae pupate inside and when the adult beetle comes out of the pupae, it crawls out of the anthill in search of a mate to repeat the process. I'm unsure by which method they manage to keep the ants from attacking it, but I suppose it is some sort of chemicals involved.
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52196059876/ shows the same beetle, but more from the side.
Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52327298755/
Ant Parasite, Pt. 3 - _TNY_9087
This orange tank of a beetle fleetingly resembles a ladybird/ladybug - but it isn't related at all. This is a four-spotted leaf beetle (Clytra quadripunctata).
If you find one, the odds are good there is an anthill nearby. The larvae of these crawl into ant colonies and live there, eating ant eggs and larvae. The larvae pupate inside and when the adult beetle comes out of the pupae, it crawls out of the anthill in search of a mate to repeat the process. I'm unsure by which method they manage to keep the ants from attacking it, but I suppose it is some sort of chemicals involved.
Part 1 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52196059876/ shows the same beetle, but more from the side.
Part 2 here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/52327298755/