The “Bone Collector”
The above image is just an fanciful illustration and bears absolutely no resemblance to the actual insect.
The day scientists finally decide to focus their efforts on the important issues, such as canonically determining which insect is the most bad-ass "metal" bug on the planet, they will quickly have to admit that the recently discovered carnivorous "Bone Collector" larva is a strong contender.
Photo: D. Rubinoff et al., 2025.
While entomologist Daniel Rubinoff from the University of Hawaii has been studying the "bone collector" for around 17 years, he couldn't categorically determine that it was a new species until earlier this year. It doesn't seem to have a binomial (scientific) name yet, but it is the larval form of a moth from the Hyposcoma genus.
Why is it "metal" you ask? Well, unlike other larva which tend to shy away from predators due to their fragile and helpless nature, the "Bone Collector" has chosen to move in with one. It lives in and around spider webs and steals their involuntary landlord's food! To avoid being discovered and eaten, it collects bits and pieces of other insects caught in the web and attaches them to itself creating both a disguise and an armor. As Rubinoff told Ars Technica "If you're going to live in Smaug's lair, you'd better look like treasure."
And it's no mere scavenger. There's a simple reason you never find more than one in a nest. It's a ruthless predator that will devour anything it can overpower, even one of its own.
It's a shame really. If a few of them got together and started a death metal band, they'd have coolest new death metal name this century...
Rattus Petrificus
May 21st, 2025
Page last updated: May 21st, 2025