Parasitic beetles are uncommon today, but their natural history tells us how
beetles like this one with its bizarre, antler-like lobes thrived in the amber
forest. Though social wasps are one of its prey, such beetles do not have to
encounter a wasp in order to parasitize it. Instead, the beetle lays its eggs
on or near flowers. When its larvae hatch, they wait for a wasp to alight on
the flower to imbibe nectar. The larvae then grab hold of the wasp and hitch a
ride back to its nest, where they transform into grubs and dine on wasp larvae.
Later the grubs pupate in the soil and then go on to continue the cycle.