Evolutionary-persistence

Guides

• Haeteriinae

  Haeteriinae is a subfamily of clown beetles (Histeridae) comprising over 110 genera and 330 described species. Members are obligate myrmecophiles and termitophiles, specialized as social symbionts that infiltrate ant and termite colonies. The subfamily exhibits dramatic behavioral and chemical adaptations for colony integration, including mouth-to-mouth feeding with host workers, grooming behaviors, and chemical mimicry of host scents. A 99-million-year-old fossil from Burmese amber demonstrates that this symbiotic relationship originated in the Cretaceous period, contemporaneous with the earliest-known ants.

  myrmecophiletermitophilesymbiosisCretaceousarmy-antschemical-mimicryphoresyfossilBurmese-amberEcitonsocial-parasitismclown-beetlesHisteridaeevolutionary-persistencehost-switching