Insect defence all blood and guts (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Matt Walker
Editor, Earth News

Armoured crickets have a bizarre and striking way to avoid being eaten.

To become unpalatable, the insects squirt toxic blood out of gaps in their body and make themselves sick by throwing up food they've just eaten.

A few insect species including beetles and katydids actively bleed when attacked, but the benefits of taking such extreme measures were not clear.

Now scientists have shown the tactic really does work to deter predators such as lizards.

Armoured ground crickets (Acanthoplus discoidalis) are fat, flightless insects that live in the African bush across Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8172000/8172168.stm




Spiny, armored, 2" long crickets that squirt blood and vomit? Can you say -- PERFECT COOL PET? :D

[rrneck]

1. Wow. What a coincidence.

That what I do when I get my ass kicked.

Hey, somebody had to say it. :D

[sam sarrha]

2. that is what te ReThuglicans do when cornered about the absolute failure of Free Trade