Coatonachthodes ovambolandicus is a termite

Termite

Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...

-mimicking beetle

Beetle

Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...

 which lives as a parasite in their nests. It looks roughly like a termite from above, though its legs look like "twisted balloons" rather than real insect

Insect

Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...

 legs. This less than accurate emulation can be explained by looking at the beetle from the side rather than down at its dorsum

Dorsum (biology)

In anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run, fly, or swim in a horizontal position, and the back side of animals that walk upright. In vertebrates the dorsum contains the backbone. The term dorsal refers to anatomical structures that are either situated toward or grow...

. The beetle's head and leg-bearing thorax are minuscule relative to its large abdomen

Abdomen

In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...

. This part of the body is bent back towards the anterior (head) end, covering the rest of its body. It is the abdomen alone which is visible from above, providing a deceptive 'umbrella' that looks like a termite. The rear end thus acts as the termite 'head', and its appendages (leg

Leg

Łęg may refer to the following places in Poland:*A former name for the town of Ełk *Part of the Czyżyny district of Kraków*Łęg, Pleszew County in Greater Poland Voivodeship...

s and antennae

Antenna (biology)

Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....

) are composed of moving flaps attached to the abdomen's upper side.

Although the mimicry is not as convincing as that of other mimics, such as the ant mimic

Ant mimicry

Ant mimicry is mimicry of ants by other organisms. Ants are abundant all over the world, and insect predators that rely on vision to identify their prey such as birds and wasps normally avoid them, either because they are unpalatable, or aggressive. Thus some other arthropods mimic ants to escape...

 Labidus praedator, the evolution of the resemblance is certainly remarkable considering the changes required. In Climbing Mount Improbable

Climbing Mount Improbable

Climbing Mount Improbable is a 1996 popular science book by Richard Dawkins. The book is about probability and how it applies to the theory of evolution, and is specifically designed to debunk claims by creationists about the probability of naturalistic mechanisms like natural selection.The main...

, Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins

Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...

describes this imitation as "one of the most astonishing spectacles in all natural history."