I recently took a photo of what I’m fairly certain is a Stripe-horned Green Lacewing in its larval stage; from what I understand, the larva takes pieces of molts, lichen/plant matter, and even the corpses of insects to attach to themselves and disguise what they are. Are the bits of natural matter they stick onto themselves considered part of the organism, or is it considered a structure made by the organism, since they weren’t originally part of it’s body?
Lacewing larvae or junk bugs as they are commonly known, place on their backs remains of their victims after they proceeded to digest their tissues with enzymes they produce and sucked their contents with their straw like mouth parts. There might be multiple reasons for that, 1) disguise so they can get close to their next prey; 2) protection, so they don’t become somebody else’s prey; 3) every now and then they will stop and rearrange their cargo and might even snack on it on the go, which I find ingenious.
As you mentioned, they also collect organic materials they find on the way but they can be quite selective. I’ve seen them stopping to check out something on their path, turning it around as if inspecting it meticulously. If it passes the test it ends up on their back, if not they will toss it far away.
In conclusion they are half Hannibal Lecter, half hoarder but 100% uniquely wonderful!
Here’s the definition of Construction on iNat:
Something created by an animal, made with or excavated from other materials. Examples of things that are Constructions: spider web, burrow, nest or hive, caddisfly larva casing, egg sac or egg case. Examples of things that are not Constructions: coral reef, mollusk shell, hermit crab shell, galls.
I’d consider it a Construction.
Thank you! I wasn’t sure if it would be considered akin to a shell or not.
My understanding is that in molluscs and arthropods, the shell is a part of the organism itself so those are different.