Termite Predator Unleashes Killer Farts

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June 25, 2015

Are your farts so nasty they could kill? That’s a claim the beaded lacewing can make, Wired reports in a post brilliantly titled, “Silent and Deadly: Fatal Farts Immobilize Prey.”  The Lomamyia latipennis larvae prey on termites, hiding out in their nests. When hungry, they unleash their killer farts on unsuspecting termites. Their stench is capable of killing six termites in one blow. In about three minutes, dinner is ready. Researchers conducted tests that showed the flatulence immobilized the termite for three hours; even those not eaten died eventually. The larvae gas appears to affect termites only. Researchers “coaxed the larvae into farting on other insects commonly found in termite nests—fruit flies, two kinds of small wasp, and book lice—but they were unaffected,” according to the article. Although not much information about the beaded lacewing exists, plenty of research has been conducted on insects that fart.

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