The butts of these blowfly larvae mimic termite faces

It is vague just how blowfly larvae end up in the termite nest. The scientists hypothesize that adult blowflies lay their eggs around or inside of the nest, and that the termites “embrace” the impostors for unidentified reasons. The larvae have a tendency to stay in the most inhabited areas of the nest, the group says, so it’s possible that the termites might be feeding them.

“If you throw there a termite from one more swarm, they eliminate it immediately,” Vila says. The blowfly larvae, the scientists found, send out the specific scent that termites in the colony they manipulate do.

Vila and coworkers brought the larvae and some termites to the lab, hoping to understand exactly how the trespassers procure by unnoticed amongst harvester termites (Anacanthotermes ochraceus), which are known to kill trespassers that enter their nests. The group analyzed the insects under the microscopic lense, documented how both varieties connected and carried out a number of experiments.

On their backs, the larvae have features that resemble a termite’s antennae, eyes and other tiny frameworks, producing a false termite head. And tentacles around the body copy termite antennae– enabling the larvae to trick termites coming from all sides.

It is unclear just how blowfly larvae wind up in the termite nest. The researchers guess that grown-up blowflies lay their eggs around or inside of the nest, and that the termites “adopt” the impostors for unidentified factors. The larvae tend to stay in one of the most populated areas of the nest, the team says, so it’s possible that the termites could be feeding them.

The blowfly larvae bodies have advanced to closely look like those of the termites, the researchers report February 10 in Present Biology. Inside the nest, termites identify each various other with touch, so having a termite-shaped body is crucial for larvae survival.

The blowfly larvae, the scientists discovered, send out the exact fragrance that termites in the nest they make use of do.

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The blowflies belong to the Rhyncomya genus, but the exact types continues to be a secret. A second expedition uncovered just two even more larvae and no grownups, which would aid ID the varieties. That recommends it is incredibly uncommon.

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