First record of the Leaf Chafer Beetle Leucothyreus suturalis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) inhabiting termite nests, with notes on its life history

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Authors
Puker, Anderson
Ferreira, Felipe N. F.
Rosa, Cassiano S.
Jameson, Mary Liz
Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z.
Advisors
Issue Date
2015-01
Type
Article
Keywords
Geniatini , Isoptera , Social behavior , Social insect , Termitodea
Research Projects
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Citation
Puker, Anderson; Ferreira, Felipe N. F.; Rosa, Cassiano S.; Jameson, Mary Liz; Vaz-De-Mello, Fernando Z. 2015. First record of the Leaf Chafer Beetle Leucothyreus suturalis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) inhabiting termite nests, with notes on its life history. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, vol. 108:no. 1:pp 3-10
Abstract

We provide the first record of the leaf chafer beetle Leucothyreus suturalis Castelnau (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) associated with nests of Cornitermes cumulans (Kollar) and Silvestritermes holmgreni (Snyder) (Termitidae: Syntermitinae), including notes on the life cycle of the guest. We found 13 third-instar larvae in eight nests of C. cumulans and eight third-instar larvae in a single nest of S. holmgreni located in pasturelands or in forest edges of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In nests of both termite species, L. suturalis larvae were found imbedded in peripheral areas of nests. Larval development was similar regardless of the termite host nest. We supplement the knowledge of scarab-termite associations, report the first leaf chafer (Rutelinae) association with termite hosts, and provide life history comparisons of termitophile versus nontermitophile in the genus Leucothyreus MacLeay.

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Publisher
Oxford University Press
Journal
Book Title
Series
Annals of the Entomological Society of America;v.108:no.1
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
0013-8746
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