Nests and brood balls of coprophanaeus (Coprophanaeus) Cyanescens (Olsoufieff, 1924) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

Twenty nests of Coprophanaeus (Coprophanaeus) cyanescens (Olsoufieff) were studied in the field and described herein for the first time. They are paracoprid, subterranean (simple), and basically L-shaped. Nine pear-shaped brood balls were obtained in situ. The brood balls display a protuberance that...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Cantil, Liliana Fernanda, Sánchez, María Victoria, Sarzetti, Laura Cristina, Molina, María Alejandra, Genise, Jorge Fernando
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/50474
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/50474
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Behavior
Brood Ball Morphology
Dung Beetles
Necrophagy
Nest Structure
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Descripción
Sumario:Twenty nests of Coprophanaeus (Coprophanaeus) cyanescens (Olsoufieff) were studied in the field and described herein for the first time. They are paracoprid, subterranean (simple), and basically L-shaped. Nine pear-shaped brood balls were obtained in situ. The brood balls display a protuberance that is separated from the provision chamber by a partition of soil material. However, no constriction between them is externally recognizable. The brood balls exhibit a thick wall composed of soil material. In the upper part of the brood ball, the wall is wide enough to include the complete spherical egg chamber. The egg chamber lacks an organic lining. Between the top of the protuberance and the egg chamber, there is an aeration conduit connecting the egg chamber to the exterior via a filter of loose soil. The provision chambers are filled with carnivore/omnivore feces or carrion, mainly pig fat, which originated from remains discarded from a nearby slaughterhouse. The brood balls are surrounded and penetrated by roots. The wall shows traces (pits) produced by the appendages of the brood ball constructor and borings and fecal pellets attributed to earthworms.