Mason Bee Larvae Tap Their Cocoons
Adult bees and wasps make buzzy noises and their young ones are generally considered silent, but entomologists (An entomologist is a person who studies insects) in Switzerland who were studying mason bees (Hoplitis tridentate), were startled to observe the unique behaviour of their larvae. Mason bees lay eggs inside dead plant stems. After hatching, the larvae feed on the pollen left by their mother and spin a cocoon around themselves. When they are disturbed by predatory wasps, they cleverly tap their callus (hardened skin) found on the front and the posterior end against their cocoon wall. This makes a distinct sound and induces the rest of the siblings to join in to create a chorus of crackling noise to ward off their predators.
