Mirror beetles’ shiny bodies may not act as camouflage after all
A fake beetle test takes the shine off the idea that metallic high gloss can confound predators

Extreme gleam shows up in such varied bite-sized animals, like this golden tortoise beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata) found in the Americas. Figuring out why has had scientists debating the power of mirrors to confuse predators since at least the 1970s.
Andreas Kay/Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)