TY - JOUR
T1 - Larval juice anyone? The unusual behaviour and morphology of an ant nest beetle larva (Coleoptera
T2 - Carabidae: Paussini) from Thailand
AU - Di Giulio, A.
AU - Maruyama, M.
AU - Komatsu, T.
AU - Sakchoowong, W.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Narong Mahannop, the superintendent of Khao Yai National Park, for his support and provision of our fieldwork. Permission for sampling in this project was granted by the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Thailand (DNP No. 0907/14255). This paper is supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from JSPS (Young Scientists B, 22770085) funded to M. M. We are grateful to Katsuyuki Eguchi for the identification of the ants. We also thank Maurizio Muzzi (University of Roma Tre) for his technical assistance and Wendy Moore for her precious suggestions.
Publisher Copyright:
© National University of Singapore.
Copyright:
Copyright 2017 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2017/3/29
Y1 - 2017/3/29
N2 - The third instar larva of Paussus siamensis Maruyama, 2016 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Paussini) from Thailand, belonging to the Paussus hystrix group (sensu Maruyama, 2016), is described and illustrated by using both light and scanning electron (SEM) microscopy. Unlike other Paussus larvae, this larva was found inside a self-dug hole, in a nest of Pheidole plagiaria ants. Behavioural observations, documented by pictures taken in the field, show a peculiar strategy of P. siamensis larva to exudate big drops of transparent liquid from the thorax, promptly sucked by worker host ants. Behaviour of Paussus larvae is still unknown, but, due to their structural homogeneity, we suspect that digging and supplying attractive substances can be widespread within this genus. The similarity between P. siamensis and P. kannegieteri larvae, both Indo-Malayan species and guests of the same ant, is in agreement with their recent placement in the subgenus Scaphipaussus Fowler (sensu Robertson & Moore, 2016).
AB - The third instar larva of Paussus siamensis Maruyama, 2016 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Paussini) from Thailand, belonging to the Paussus hystrix group (sensu Maruyama, 2016), is described and illustrated by using both light and scanning electron (SEM) microscopy. Unlike other Paussus larvae, this larva was found inside a self-dug hole, in a nest of Pheidole plagiaria ants. Behavioural observations, documented by pictures taken in the field, show a peculiar strategy of P. siamensis larva to exudate big drops of transparent liquid from the thorax, promptly sucked by worker host ants. Behaviour of Paussus larvae is still unknown, but, due to their structural homogeneity, we suspect that digging and supplying attractive substances can be widespread within this genus. The similarity between P. siamensis and P. kannegieteri larvae, both Indo-Malayan species and guests of the same ant, is in agreement with their recent placement in the subgenus Scaphipaussus Fowler (sensu Robertson & Moore, 2016).
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M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85016552896
SN - 0217-2445
VL - 65
SP - 49
EP - 59
JO - Raffles Bulletin of Zoology
JF - Raffles Bulletin of Zoology
ER -