Stories in the Amber

Ant bugs like this one lie in wait on tree bark near foraging ants. When hungry, they rear up and expose their undersides, which release a secretion attractive to ants. As the ants start feeding on the substance, they become lethargic from a narcotic in the secretion. That's when the ant bug strikes, savagely driving its beak into the weakened ant's body and sucking out its life juices. The ant bug's hairs protect it from any death-throe bites or scrabbles by its victim. Today, ant bugs are extinct in the Western Hemisphere.