Scientists have discovered a bug that uses the tool

Glue arms, baby. Glue arms.

Agent 00Buggin’

There is a killer on the loose in Australia – but not the kind you might think.

As detailed in a A recent study Published in the journal Biology LettersIn fact, scientists have discovered a new species of tool-using insect, nicknamed the “killer bug” for an ingenious — and deadly — hunting technique in which it meticulously coats itself with sticky resin as a way to capture prey more effectively.

According to the study, the killer bug uses a specific resin from a native Australian herb called spinifex grass.

“Tool use in animals is a complex and rare phenomenon, particularly in insects,” reads the scientists’ paper. “The tool has been suggested to be used in killer insects because many species use sticky plant resins on their bodies, which supposedly promote the capture of prey.”

Deadly glue sticks? check. Watch out, flies.

Glue arms

To test how well these little killer tools can be used, Australian researchers observed the insects in the wild as well as in captivity, took 26 different killer insects from the outdoors and put them in a glass jar with one of two prey: flies or ants.

like ScienceDirect notes, Flies are particularly difficult to catch. According to the study, resin-coated killer insects had a much easier time catching flies than their glueless counterparts—of 26 insects, those with resin were 26 percent more successful at tearing apart troublesome winged prey.

Here, we staged predator-prey interactions of resin-deprived and resin-equipped killer insects (goraedovius sp.) and discovered that using resin as a tool imparts a distinct predatory advantage to killer bugs, “according to the study.”goraedovius s. It could thus be considered a tool user, and since this behavior was present in all individuals, including newly hatched nymphs, tool use could be seen as a stereotype.”

And apparently, according to the scientists’ observations, using spinifex resin is not a learned behavior, as newly hatched nymphs have even been seen encasing themselves in a glue-like substance.

innate Tool use on a bug? This is amazing.

The researchers concluded, “The killer bugs manipulated an environmental component (the resin), by taking it out of its usual context and applying it to their bodies, thus gaining a selective advantage through improved prey capture.”

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