There is a beetle whose larvae survive by building a shield from their own waste.
The Golden Tortoise Beetle, Charidotella sexpunctata, is known as an adult for its shimmering, metallic gold appearance. In its larval stage, it belongs to a group of tortoise beetles (Cassidinae) whose young use a faecal shield as defence.
The larva gathers its own droppings and shed skin, forming a movable shield it carries over its back like an umbrella. When threatened, it can shift or swing this shield towards predators, creating both a barrier and a deterrent.
It is a constant struggle to survive in a world full of threats, its defence is shaped not by learning, but hardwired by evolution, this tiny creature, leaving nothing to chance.
📹 TerraNaturalist
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A grasshopper infected by a parasitic Ophiocordyceps fungus
The fungus controls the insect, kills it, and grows red spore-producing structures from its body to spread further.
[📹 Garcia Ken]