Austrospirachtha carrijoi explained

Austrospirachtha carrijoi is a species of rove beetle that is native to northern Australia. It has an enlarged abdomen that extends over its entire body and that appears remarkably like a termite, and uses that disguise to steal food from true termites.^{[1] [2]}

The type species of the genus, A. mimetes, also has an elongated abdomen that is bent over the body with appendages that give it a termite like appearance. They are thought to live within the nests of termites of the genus Nasutitermes.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Beetle grows ‘termite’ on back to steal food. 6 September 2023. Richard. Pallardy. Science.org.
2. Zilberman . Bruno . Pires-Silva . Carlos M. . 2023-08-23 . A new species and morphological notes on the remarkable termitophilous genus Austrospirachtha Watson from Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) . Zootaxa . 5336 . 3 . 424–432 . 10.11646/zootaxa.5336.3.8 . 1175-5334.
3. Watson . J. A. L. . 1973 . Austrospirachtha mimetes, a new termitophilous Corotocine from Northern Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylindae) . Australian Journal of Entomology . en . 12 . 4 . 307–310 . 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1973.tb01678.x . 1326-6756. free .