Get ready to get your mind blown!
Maybe, I know I was quite... impressed to say the least.
If you follow my blog long enough then you know I have a thing for mimicry. You know, when animals pretend to be something else, usually to avoid predation.
And today this came to my attention:
It might look like a ladybug.. But it looks a bit weird...And those huge antennae are a dead giveaway it's something totally different.
In reality it is...
..
...
....
.....
......
A fucking cockroach!
Which I guess makes it..a ladyroach? 馃檭
So, the cockroach above belongs to the genus Prosoplecta, in which many species look very ladybug like.
But why?
Well, the bright colors of ladybugs are a warning to all predators that they are foul tasting. This is a phenomenon called aposematism and usually predators stay away from such prey.
In this case the cockroaches mimic the ladybugs for the same reason. To deter predators. Whether they are actually foul tasting... That's something I couldn't find.
Unfortunately, there's not much info about them, and most of it is hidden behind paywalled papers. Meh 馃槕
Here's another individual
As I said, I couldn't find much info about them and I don't have anything else to say 馃槄
So here's a link to inaturalist which has some more cool photos though.
Ok frens, this is it for today. See you soon with more bizarre wonders of mother nature !
