Tid Bit from My Diary

This week I got introduced to a new phrase. That is kleptoparasite . This was part of a scientific article that reported the discovery of a previously unknown species of beetle in the Costa Rican jungle. These are tiny creatures that hitchhiked the fighter ants while travelling frequently as part of moving their homes. They are stowaways who hide themselves in the bottom of those ants so well that their body textures and odor mimics that of those ants. So much so, that the ants are unable to detect the intruders even while touching with their feelers. There is a certain advantage when one travels with a large group of army ants. But protection or free rides are not the only objectives for these tiny parasites. These creatures also steal from the food stores of the ants. While there are others small creatures that has similar stealing habits, I find these beetles particularly shameless. They exploit the ants to the maximum. Ironically, there are so many human beings sp...