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“As with any healthy relationship, the first thing the young couple must do is hide the body. “

Posted November 8th, 2007 by Howard Tayler

Yesterday’s Insectpod.com deserves a read.

Then read today’s. Yeeek!

Explore posts in the same categories: Science, Random Linkage

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 8th, 2007 at 1:03 am and is filed under Science, Random Linkage. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Your comments will be moderated but will appear as soon as humanly possible.

8 Comments on ““As with any healthy relationship, the first thing the young couple must do is hide the body. “”

  1. brenatevi Says:
    November 8th, 2007 at 2:39 am

    Yuck, yet very, very cool. It’s amazing how species evolve to occupy very specific niches. The mites that were riding the Carrion Beetle are just amazing. How in the world did they first figure out that the carrion beetles were exactly that? It’s not like they have enough brains to go “Hey, look at that! He’s looking for a corpse. You all know what corpses have? Fly eggs! Who’s up for some fly eggs?”

  2. superpenguin Says:
    November 8th, 2007 at 4:00 am

    Okay, that is very cool. But I was eating breakfast. I actually have a pretty high tolerance for gross stuff in general, and even while eating. So I got through the first page just fine, and then clicked and saw the second picture. Yuck!

    But still, very cool.

  3. Howard Tayler Says:
    November 8th, 2007 at 7:08 am

    brenatevi: Yeah, how many millions of years of disadvantageous mutations did these bugs have to put up with before a combination of them resulted in a huge advantage?

  4. Amaranthine Says:
    November 8th, 2007 at 8:20 am

    Wouldn’t they be considered symbiotes?

    Removal of competing eggs/larva would seem to be a huge benefit for the Carrion Beetle, with the mites getting the benefit of hitching a ride to a meal.

    Is the definition of symbiote more complex than simply “mutually beneficial”?

  5. sholden Says:
    November 8th, 2007 at 11:48 am

    amaranthine: I would classify them as both (but I’m not an entomologist). symbiotes because it would seem to be beneficial to both. phoretic because they are hitching a ride which is not covered by the term symbiote.

  6. WEKM Says:
    November 8th, 2007 at 1:25 pm

    Don’t EVER do that to me again!

  7. syahwhit Says:
    November 9th, 2007 at 12:19 am

    All right folks, we are now approacing the corpse. Please place your tray tables in the prepared to eat position and remain seated till the beetle has come to a complete stop. A stewardess will be around shortly to take your order. Please let her know if you’d like your flyed eggs sunny side up or over easy?

  8. melw Says:
    November 9th, 2007 at 1:33 pm

    What do you want to bet that Howard has found a new character for the comic!
    Can you see it large and intelagent with its own shock troups on board.
    LOL
    Mel W.

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