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πŸͺ² Beetles

Humpbacked Mite-hunter

Scydmaenus hellwigii

About

A diminutive scydmaenine rove beetle with a distinctly humped profile and long, clubbed antennae. It specializes in hunting oribatid mites in the micro-habitats of forest floor detritus.

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Did You Know?

To overcome the mite's armor, this beetle first gnaws a small hole in the mite's exoskeleton, then inserts its mandibles to extract the soft tissues inside.