Rare fly species wears fake termite head to infiltrate nests
According to the team, the relationship between the blow fly larvae and termites appears to be some form of social parasitism or symbiosis. Humpbacked flies and termites have a similar relationship. However, it is adult humpback flies and not the larvae that mimic termites.
This Fly Larva’s Butt Looks Like a Termite’s Head—and Termites Are Falling for It
“Most termites live several meters deep and have no visual perception. However, harvester termites come out at dusk to collect grass, so they have functional eyes that the larvae are able to mimic with their spiracles [breathing holes],” Vila explained.
The discovery that what was long believed to be one fly species is actually two deepens researchers’ understanding of plant-pollinator relationships in a unique habitat in southern Africa. Until ...
Few Hawaiian species are as amazing as the 111 species of picture-wing flies that have evolved from a single female that migrated from the mainland some 5 million years ago. Hawaiian ...
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