Even beetles plump for a balanced diet, study shows

JANUARY is the time of year when many people take a close look at how healthy their diet is — but humans are not the only ones making sure they eat a balanced selection of food.

Predators in the natural world choose their prey based on their needs for a balanced diet, rather than consuming as many calories as possible for survival, research suggests.

An international team of scientists studying a type of beetle found that females chose the right balance of prey foods like slugs, moths and ants to produce the healthiest and largest number of eggs, passing up food if it is not what they need.