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The Phoretic Association Between Cyaneolytta Péringuey (Coleoptera: Meloidae) Triungulins and Anthia Weber (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Southern Africa

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The Phoretic Association Between Cyaneolytta Péringuey (Coleoptera: Meloidae) Triungulins and Anthia Weber (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Southern Africa The phoretic association between Cyaneolytta Péringuey (Coleoptera: Meloidae) triungulins and Anthia Weber (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in southern Africa § C.H. Scholtz1* , R.J. Basson2 & M.A. Bologna3 1Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002 South Africa 2Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch, 7602 South Africa 3Dipartimento di Scienze, Università Roma Tre, Viale G. Marcoini 446, 00146 Roma, Italy Phoresis is the interspecific symbiotic association ground- or wood-nesting solitary Apidae, and in which one of two participants, the phoront, uti- rarely, of Vespidae: Eumeninae and Sphecidae) or lises the other participant in the association (the of Orthoptera (mainly Acrididae; one record of host) for mechanical transport. The association is Pyrgomorphidae) oothecae (Bologna 1991; seldom obligatory although it may be a common Bologna & Pinto 2001). The exception is probably occurrence involving certain specific participants. represented by the basal Gondwanan subfamily Examples include flightless arthropods such as Eleticinae, the components of which are hypoth- mites and pseudoscorpions being transported by esised to be endophyte predators in the larval larger winged insects, or between small flightless phase (Pinto et al. 1996; Bologna et al. 2001). insects and larger species. The transport may be The family Meloidae belongs to the superfamily occasional and facultative or more fixed – the main Tenebrionoidea and includes about 130 genera function is to facilitate dispersal to other suitable and almost 3000 species worldwide. Its classifica- habitats, or to food. Well-known examples include tion at subfamily and tribal levels was recently dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) trans- defined by both morphological (adult and larva) porting predatory mesostigmatic mites, and the (Bologna & Pinto 2001) and molecular characters wingless ‘bee louse’, Braula coeca (Diptera: Brauli- (Bologna et al. 2008). Southern Africa has a rich dae) and its host the honeybee, Apis mellifera meloid fauna with about 35 genera and almost 200 (Hymenoptera: Apidae). In the former case, the species (Bologna et al. 2018) some of which are mites are transported between dung sources associated with bees; these include the wingless where they prey on detritus-feeding mites and fly ‘oil beetles’ of the genus Meloe and all Nemo- eggs, while, although the bee louse is an obligatory gnathinae, such as Synhoria testacea on carpenter symphile in honeybee nests where it depends on bees (Xylocopa spp.; Apidae: Xylocopinae – the bees and their products for food, dispersal Watmough 1983; Bologna & Laurenzi 1994), between colonies is dependent on absconding whereas the widespread and familiar CMR beetle, bees. However, the lines between phoresis and Hycleus tricolor, and other members of the numer- parasitism become somewhat blurred in cases ous Mylabrini are associated with locust egg-pods such as that of B. coeca and A. mellifera since most of (Skaife 1979) as are the species of Epicauta and the association between them is actually one of Psalydolytta (Epicautini). benign parasitism by the fly of the host over much Meloidae are one of a few groups of insects (also of the fly’s life-cycle and phoresis is only involved Strepsiptera, certain Hymenoptera and Diptera during dispersal. And, although phoresis is as well as a few other coleopteran groups) that considered to occur at no cost to the host, during undergo hypermetamorphosis in which the the larger, parasitic, part of this association there is various larval instars differ significantly from each obviously some (Kistner 1982). other in morphology and behaviour. The first The two important ecological factors that deter- instar is termed a triungulin – it is an elongate, mine a phoretic association are whether the associ- long-legged, fast-moving stage whose main func- ation is facultative or near-obligatory and whether tion is to locate a host. Species of meloids that prey the transport is essential for the success of some on bee honey or brood lay eggs on the ground and stage of the phoront’s life-cycle (Kistner 1982). non-phoretic triungulins look actively for bee Most Meloidae larvae are predators of either the nests walking on the soil (tribes Lyttini, Pyrotini, brood of various aculeate Hymenoptera (mostly of Cerocomini, Eupomphini); in the phoretic groups, *Author for correspondence. E-mail: [email protected] Received 13 June 2018. Accepted 19 July 2018 ISSN 1021-3589 [Print]; 2224-8854 [Online] African Entomology 26(2): 555–558 (2018) DOI: https://doi.org/10.4001/003.026.0555 ©Entomological Society of Southern Africa 556 African Entomology Vol. 26, No. 2, 2018 female meloids lay eggs on flowers (tribes low bushes or grasses but females are often found Palaestrini and Nemognathini), or directly inside a walking on the ground (Fig. 2). This is assumed to bee nest (tribe Horiini and Nemognathini), be where and when eggs are laid. The triungulins although some lay eggs on the ground from are louse-like and attach firmly to various parts of which the triungulin must climb the plant, find a the beetle’s ventral anatomy. bee, attach to it and be transported to the bee’s Bologna et al. (1990) and Di Giulio et al. (2003) nest (tribe Meloini). Females of Orthoptera discussed various possible scenarios that would egg-predatory species (tribes Epicautini and support a particular host-association between Mylabrini) lay eggs in clutches covered with soil in Cyaneolytta larvae and putative hosts. These inclu- a hole in the ground and from which the ded termite brood, grasshopper eggs, Carabidae triungulins must escape and quickly locate buried eggs, bee and ant brood. Termites were suggested oothecae (Bologna 1991; Bologna & Pinto 2001). as possible larval hosts because a single adult Although the life-cycles are complex and the specimen of C. amethystina was collected in a details differ between taxa, most have the follow- Cubitermes sankuruensis nest in Zaire (Kaszab 1961, ing general pattern in subsequent instars: these quoted by Bologna et al. 1990). However, we con- are, firstly, of a ‘caraboid’ larval type followed by sider this unlikely since, in a comprehensive ‘scarabaeoid’ type larvae, both of which feed – the review of symphily in social insects, particularly scarabaeoid stage may last through 4–5 successive termites, Kistner (1982) recorded no associations instars, the last of which moults into a resting, between termites and Meloidae, and in view of the non-feeding, legless ‘coarctate’ or ‘hypnotecal’ fact that none was found in 31 000 termite colonies larva which eventually moults into an active but excavated by Coaton and Sheasby during their non-feeding ‘scolytoid’ larva. This, final, larval termite surveys in South Africa and Namibia stage moults into a typical pupa (see Bologna 1991 between 1957 and 1976 (published in 18 ‘surveys’ for a synthesis). Each stage is similar in appearance between 1973 and 1980). During the excavations to the larvae of the beetle group suggested by the all symphiles encountered (about 1600 of mostly name. The genus of interest here, Cyaneolytta,isan Afro-Oriental genus with 24 species in Africa, of which six are found in southern Africa (Selander 1986). This genus was variously referred in the literature to the tribes Lyttini, Epicautini and to Meloini (subfamily Meloinae) whose triungulins are mostly phoretically associated with bees. Cyaneolytta triungulins, based on numerous records (almost 500) from the whole sub-Saharan Africa and India, (Bologna et al. 1990; Di Giulio et al. 2003) have, however, only been found in a phoretic association with a number of large Carabidae (a total of 31 species in, for example, the genera Anthia, Chilanthia, Cypholoba, Pachymorpha, Psecadius, Tefflus and Termophilum; occasionally on Dromica,). Here we report on a phoretic association between triungulins of an unidentified Cyaneolytta species (Fig. 1) and Anthia omoplata Lequien from Limpopo Province, South Africa, the first from the region, and hypothesise about the nature and function of the association. Di Giulio et al. (2003) identified four morphologically distinct types of Cyaneolytta triungulins and 16 possible morpho- species; the species from Limpopo belongs to the Fig. 1.The triungulin of a Cyaneolytta sp.removed from a specimen of Anthia omoplatum (December 2016; C. depressicornis type. Limpopo Province, Farm Letsibogo, District Bela-Bela, Adult Cyaneolytta are mostly encountered on 24°41’.984”S 28°02’.654”E). Short communications 557 Fig. 2. A female Cyaneolytta sp. (probably, C. depressicornis (Laporte de Castelnau)) in characteristic situation, walking on the ground. (24.10.2017; Limpopo Province, Shanghai, Limpopo River, 22°27’30.34”S 28°55’27.65”E). Approximate body length, 15 mm. Staphylinidae) in the colonies were collected the evidence at present is circumstantial and the but they appear not to have recorded meloid hypothesis speculative, we suggest it is an avenue triungulins from any of them. Selander (1987) worth pursuing in future studies. attempted to feed C. fryi triungulins reared from In conclusion, what evidence there is suggests eggs laid by a female in Nigeria on honeybee that there is a common, possibly obligatory, pollen, bee and wasp brood, and locust and phoretic association between Cyaneolytta triun- carabid eggs without them showing any interest gulins and anthiine Carabidae and we here in the offerings. This leaves us with the suggestion propose that the function of the association is for that Cyaneolytta triungulins may be associated transport of the meloids to an appropriate ant nest with ants in some way. where they develop. Bologna et al. (1990) quoted Paarmann et al. (1986) who suggested that the larvae of certain ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS carabids, particularly in arid areas, may prey on We thank V. Uys of the Biosystematics Division, ants so this logic was applied to suggest that there Agricultural Research Council for providing the is some connection between meloid triungulins, information of Coaton and Sheasby’s termite adult carabids and then secondarily, to their surveys, and on the termitophiles collected.
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