
Wedge-shaped beetles
Scientific name: Ripiphoridae
Wedge-shaped beetles
Scientific name: Ripiphoridae

Description

The Ripiphoridae are a peculiar group of beetles often referred to as wedge-shaped beetles. Despite their unassuming appearance, they lead remarkable lives; primarily, they are parasitic during their larval stage, targeting other insects. Often misconceived as harmless, members of Ripiphoridae actually engage in a form of aggressive mimicry, using pheromones to integrate into the bee colonies they parasitize. This intriguing survival strategy includes their larvae initially acting as predators before turning parasitic.

Species of Wedge-shaped beetles


Scientific Classification
