Sceptobius lativentris , a rove beetle, steals pheromones from velvety tree ants by mounting the insects and scooping up the chemicals with brush-like legs. Now Parker, whose lab has spent 8 years studying the red-and-black ants, believes they’ve uncovered something that helps answer a key question about evolution. The beetle, Sceptobius lativentris, even smaller than the ant, turns off its own pheromones to go stealth. It smears the ants’ pheromones, or cuticular hydrocarbons, on itself as a sort of mask. Scientists knew that Sceptobius beetles lived among velvety tree ants, but they weren’t sure exactly how they were able to pull it off.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 10, 2026 22:23 UTC