Tool use aids prey-fishing in a specialist predator of stingless bees

Tool use is widely reported across a broad range of the animal kingdom, yet comprehensive empirical tests of its function and evolutionary drivers remain scarce, predominantly focused on a few relatively intelligent vertebrate lineages. In this study, we provide a comprehensive examination of tool use behavior in the assassin bug Pahabengkakia piliceps, a specialist predator of stingless bees that exploits resin droplet from bee nest entrance to facilitate hunting. Field behavioral experiments demonstrated that resin use is critical for hunting success, as the predator uses resin to stimulate the colonial defense of stingless bees, luring attacking bees toward its optimal hunting position. Chemical analysis revealed that resin processing by the assassin bug enhances the emission of volatile compounds, making the resin more attractive and stimulating to guard bees. Through these experiments, we empirically demonstrate how an invertebrate predator adapts to the colony defense of social in..., , , # Tool use aids prey-fishing in a specialist predator of stingless bees

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.np5hqc03n](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.np5hqc03n)

## Description of the data and file structure

This supplementary dataset, integral to our research paper, contains data crucial for understanding the key findings of our study. It includes all behavior raw data of each assassin bug's interaction with stingless bees, Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometer raw data of the total volatiles content, the developmental period of each assassin bug, the number of eggs laid, and the number of eggs hatched during the experiment, and R code for data analysis. 

### Files and variables

#### File: Behavior\_Raw\_Data.xlsx

**Description:** The raw data of our field experiment about the interaction between each assassin bug from three groups and stingless bees, include the time of assassin bug prey stingless bee or not, and the time stingless bee attack the assassin bug, and the number of times t...,