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@futurebird @ShaulaEvans
Ants are so incredibly cool that other arthropods just want to be like them: "ant mimicry" is a treasure chest full of amazing bug facts.
My favourite: in order to look more similar to ants, some jumping spiders walk on their six hind legs, the remaining front legs lifted to the side of their head to resemble ant antennae.
@StevenLawsonPhotography @ShaulaEvans Male scorpion flies offer a piece of prey (smaller insects) to the females. The females feed on it while mating takes place.
@ShaulaEvans
Some leaf beetles produce toxins which they can secrete through glands on their back.
...other leaf beetles feed on poisonous plants, "collect" the toxins and secrete them (sometimes chemically modified).
... and *some* leaf beetle larvae keep the toxins of the plants inside their digestive tract making their feces toxic. Their anus is at a position where they shit on their own back producing a protective "fecal mask". No shit.