Nymphister kronaueri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nymphister kronaueri |
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| Scientific classification | |
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Histeridae
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Nymphister
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N. kronaueri
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| Nymphister kronaueri von Beeren & Tishechkin 2017
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Nymphister kronaueri is a tiny beetle that lives in Costa Rica. It was first found in 2014. This beetle became famous because of its unusual way of traveling. It hitches rides on army ants! Scientists officially named and described it in 2017.
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How N. kronaueri Was Found
This special beetle was discovered by two biologists, Christoph von Beeren and Daniel Kronauer. They were studying how army ants, especially those from the Eciton group, live with other creatures in Costa Rica. These other creatures are called symbionts, meaning they live closely with another species.
Later, another scientist named Alexey Tishechkin worked with Christoph von Beeren. They decided to name the new beetle species after Daniel Kronauer. This was a way to honor him for all his important discoveries about army ants.
About This Beetle Species
Scientists von Beeren and Tishechkin used special methods to learn more about Nymphister kronaueri. They looked at its DNA (like a genetic barcode) and its physical features. This helped them figure out that it belongs to the Nymphister group of beetles. Before this discovery, only three other species were known in this group.
The Nymphister group is part of a larger beetle family called histerid beetles, specifically in the Haeteriinae subfamily. Many beetles in this subfamily live closely with ants or termites. These beetles are sometimes called "ant-loving" (myrmecophiles) or "termite-loving" (termitephiles). They might get food from the ant or termite colonies, or even eat some of the young insects.
What N. kronaueri Looks Like
N. kronaueri is a very small beetle. It is dark reddish-brown in color. It measures about 1.40 to 1.58 millimeters long. That's less than two millimeters, so it's tiny! It is also about 1.18 to 1.40 millimeters wide.
How N. kronaueri Behaves
One of the most interesting things about N. kronaueri is how it travels. It uses its mouthparts, called mandibles, to grab onto the waist of medium-sized army ants. This waist area is between the ant's petiole and postpetiole. The specific ant species it hitches a ride on is Eciton mexicanum.
Scientists watched these beetles riding on different types of worker ants during night-time trips. Most of the time (over 95%), the beetles were found at the end of the ant column. This is where there were fewer ants and no ant babies being carried.
Once attached, the beetles look a lot like the ants' own bodies. To us, it might seem like the ant has two bottom body parts, one on top of the other. However, these beetles mostly travel at night. This means they probably don't need to look like an ant's body to hide from predators that hunt by sight.
It's more likely that the beetle's disguise helps it hide from the ants themselves. It might use its looks and even its smell to blend in. The beetle also smells like the ants, which helps it to be accepted. Ants have even been seen licking and grooming the beetles! This suggests the beetle might produce special chemicals that make the ants feel calm. Also, like many beetles in its subfamily, N. kronaueri can pull all its legs and antennae into its body. This makes it a smooth, hard ball, so the ants can't easily attack it.
So far, Nymphister kronaueri has only been found in one place: the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. It has only been seen with the Eciton mexicanum army ant species. Since it's a bit secretive and was only recently discovered, scientists believe it might actually live in many more places across Central and South America.
Images for kids
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A close-up picture of the Nymphister kronaueri beetle.
See also
In Spanish: Nymphister kronaueri para niños
