feed on the subterranean egg pods of grasshoppers and locusts, and Mantispidae feed on egg purses of spiders. A striking example of phoresy is that planidia of beetles of the genus Meloe will form a group and produce a pheromone that mimics the sex attractant of its host bee species; when the male bee arrives and attempts to mate with the mass of larvae, they climb onto his abdomen, and from there, they transfer in turn to a female bee, and finally to the bee nest, where they attack the bee larvae as their hosts. It is common for planidia to molt shortly after entering the host body or nest, but some species postpone further development while the host larva grows. Whether after a delay or not, the first ecdysis changes the planidial form into an extra larval form that is practically and unrecognisably different from the planidium; this reflects the lapsed need for the larva to wander any further, together with an increased need for efficiency in feeding. The changes in morphology usually include de-sclerotization, and loss of the legs and eyes of the larvae. Inclusion of the extra, functionally distinct form of larva into the life history is an example of hypermetamorphosis References External link Parasitic insects Insect physiology Larvae