The ants bug

By Francesco Tomasinelli

This is one of the most surprising insect in the world: the assassin bug (Reduvidae) Acanthaspis sp. from from dry forests of Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. It hunts ants, especially the very common weaver ants, Oechophylla, killing them with a strong rostrum. Then attaches the dead, consumed ants bodies to his back, as camouflage! The bug is also protected by formic acid contents released by ants. Would-be predators leave it well alone assuming it is just a pile of ants corpses.

 

 

Search

News

16-12-2011 Two new short stories in "Strange but true" with tiger beetles and devil flower mantis. Updated Quirimbas Islands reportage 

30-4-2011 New scientific exhibition Predatori del microcosmo at Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino, until 27-6-2011 

25-02-2011 New photo gallery on fireflies, Il ritorno delle lucciole.

03-02-2011 New scientific exhibition Copioni e copiati for Arte e Scienza in Piazza 2011, in Bologna, until 13-02-2011.

08-1-2011 New photo gallery on Iran and persian architecture

05-12-2010 New scientific exhibition Predatori del microcosmo at Museo Tridentino di Scienze Naturali, Trento, until 13-2-2011 

29-11-2010 New gallery Professione naturalista, on people working in natural sciences

28-10-2010 New scientific exhibition Copioni e copiati, for Festival della Scienza 2010, at Castello d'Albertis, Genova, until 5-12-2010

22-10-2010 New pictures exhibition until 11-06-2011 at Museo di Storia Naturale di Torino: Taxon, with pictures by F. Tomasinelli and P. Richaud

13-09-2010 New gallery on Valley of Butterflies, Rhodes, Greece

About this site

Welcome to Isopoda.net, website of Italian biologist and science photographer Francesco Tomasinelli. My favourite photographic subjects are unusual animals, travels and scientists at work, but I shoot many other topics, like sports, events and corporate pictures. I work as scientific consultant too, mainly on ecology topics.

Area Riservata