Epomis beetle larvae eating a toad.
Apparently, there is a genus of predatory ground beetles,
Epomis, whose larvae specialize in snaring and consuming amphibians alive through prey-reversal. They lure the unsuspecting tetrapods in by acting all prey-like, wiggling around in a seductive dance, but when the amphibian attacks, the beetle deftly dodges and counters. The beetle latches on to the side of the amphibian’s mouth and begins to dine. In all 420 predatory events in a recent study, the amphibians failed to snag the beetle larve, and were themselves consumed.
You can read more and watch some videos at Wired, or check out the original research paper at PloS ONE.
I can’t find any information about these beetles being found in Australia, so hopefully Plugg is safe… gulp
This came up on one of the invert forums I frequent. On the one hand, a truly impressive, rather remarkable adaptation on the part of the beetles.
On the other hand, “brutal” does adequately describe it. I feel sorry for the amphibians. Considering the nervous system of chordates, being slowly eaten alive is a horrible way to go.