Killer beetles of the genus Gorareduvius can often be seen resting on the stalks of spinifex grass, which grows in the arid regions of Australia and was popular with the mainland’s early inhabitants who made tools from it. As it turned out, not only people, but also insects thought of this.
This was discovered by scientists from Macquarie University in Sydney, who collected 26 killer bugs in Western Australia and brought them to their field laboratory. Biologists have noticed that males, females, and even immature nymphs scrape resin from spinifex leaves and carefully lubricate their paws with it, but before they could not even imagine why insects needed this.
Resin-coated killer bugs proved to be ideal hunters.© Fernando G. Soley
each beetle placed into a glass jar and offered two victims, a fly and an ant. After the hunt, the researchers removed the resin from the bodies of the insects and repeated the experiment. As it turned out, resin-lubricated beetles were 26% more successful in capturing prey than without it. Without the resin, the flies were 64% more likely to run away as the sticky goo slowed down the dobcha and ensured the bugs had time to deliver the killing blow.
This discovery is not just curious: it proves that insects can use natural tools for hunting, which is an extremely rare behavior. Apparently, this feature is genetically inherent in beetles, since even newborn nymphs lubricated themselves with resin. However, although the use of tools is often a sign of high intelligence, biologists point out that insects are more likely to have such behavior programmed, unlike monkeys and dolphins, which learn from relatives.
#Australian #beetles #learned #tools #hunting
2023-04-26 15:14:25
