Stink Bugs' Unique Defense Mechanism
Researchers have discovered that certain stink bug species use a cordycep-like fungus to defend against parasitic wasps.
Initially, special glands on the legs of these stink bugs were mistaken for "ears" due to their unusual location.
Unlike crickets, moths, mantises, and cicadas, which use organs on their front legs, thoraxes, or abdomens to detect sound, these stink bugs do not have tympanal organs, the insect equivalent of an auditory system.
A study published in the journal Science on October 16 found that female stink bugs from the Dinidoridae family lack this auditory system.
Entomologists assumed that organs on certain stink bug legs functioned as ears, but new research reveals a more complex and intriguing truth.
Author's summary: Stink bugs use fungus to defend against wasps.
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