Insects have been around for 400 million years. So the little buggers have had a really long time to invent just about every kind of freakish form and behavior possible.
But the ant assassin, left, tops the heap.
Ants are everywhere. Some one-hundred-thousand-trillion of the crawly creepers - so that's a lot of food if your trade is assassinating ants.
The dreaded Acanthaspis Petax hunts at night sniffing the saliva laden ant trails, capturing, draining the body and carefully positioning the dead shells on their back in a grand gesture of conservation and camouflage.
Despite the ghoulish aspect of the ant assassin's behavior the predator measures just 1/3rd of an inch in length. Proving once again, size doesn't matter, well, at least not for insects.
But the ant assassin, left, tops the heap.
Ants are everywhere. Some one-hundred-thousand-trillion of the crawly creepers - so that's a lot of food if your trade is assassinating ants.
The dreaded Acanthaspis Petax hunts at night sniffing the saliva laden ant trails, capturing, draining the body and carefully positioning the dead shells on their back in a grand gesture of conservation and camouflage.
Despite the ghoulish aspect of the ant assassin's behavior the predator measures just 1/3rd of an inch in length. Proving once again, size doesn't matter, well, at least not for insects.