Tonic Immobility: A Defence Strategy in Insects

Anti-predatory defences are crucial to many aspects of behavioural ecology. Thanatosis (often called death-feigning) in this regard has long been an under-appreciated defence, despite being taxonomically and ecologically widespread. The behavioural defence in insects has been well established among insects, out of which tonic immobility or feigning death or thanatosis is a distinguishing phenomenon.