Science
Faking it: Insect ‘played dead’ for an hour to avoid being eaten – BBC Focus Magazine
Scientists say the 61-minute stand off between the ‘dead’ antlion insect and its hungry predator is the longest ever observed.
Animals have long been observed faking death in a desperate attempt to avoid predators but scientists say the length of time is kept long but unpredictable.
This tense strategy creates a deadly game of hide and seek, as the grumbling stomachs of predators cannot afford to wait around forever, and their prey also need to get on with their lives at some point.
Charles Darwin recorded a beetle that kept completely still for 23 minutes, but the University of Bristol has observed an antlion larvae insect…
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