Meat‐eating enhances larval development of Anthracophora rusticola Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), which breeds in bird nests

Abstract

AbstractThe scarab beetle Anthracophora rusticola Burmeister breeds in the nests of carnivorous birds including the honey buzzard Pernis apivorus (Linnaeus), Chinese goshawk Accipiter soloensis (Horsfield), oriental stork Ciconia boyciana Swinhoe and great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus). Although larvae of the beetle probably feed on animal matter (e.g. remnants of birds' food) in the nests of these birds, the effect of eating flesh on the growth of larvae has not been investigated. Laboratory experiments clearly showed that the development was faster, survival rate higher and body heavier just before pupation in larvae fed dried chicken meat with humus soil than in those fed only humus soil. We also investigated feeding behaviors of larvae of the beetle. A piece of chicken meat placed on the surface of humus soil was pulled under the soil by the larva, mostly at night. Video recordings made during the night showed that larvae came to the humus soil surface and ate the dried chicken meat or tried to take the meat under the soil. Our laboratory observations suggest that larvae in nature stay under the humus accumulated in bird nests during the daytime, and then come up to the surface mostly at night to actively seek and eat remnants of the birds' food.