Iverson, A., Burnham, R., Perfecto, I., Vandenberg, N.J., & Vandermeer, J. 2021 A tropical lady beetle, Diomus lupusapudoves (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), deceives potential enemies to predate an ant‑protected coffee pest through putative chemical mimicry. International Journal of Tropical Insect Science doi.org/10.1007/s42690-021-00621-5
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Notes: From these series of experiments, we deduce that the D. lupusapudoves larvae likely employ chemical mimicry, allowing them to coexist with the aggressive A. sericeasur ants. The myrmecophilous behavior of the D. lupusapudoves larvae assists them in their role as an important biological control agent of the green coffee scale.
