Abstract
Predator community structure is an important selective element shaping the evolution of prey defence traits and strategies. Carabid beetles are one of the most diverse families of Coleoptera, and their success in terrestrial ecosystems is related to considerable morphological, physiological, and behavioural adaptations that provide protection against predators. Their most common form of defence is the chemical secretion from paired abdominal pygidial glands that produce a heterogeneous set of carboxylic acids, quinones, hydrocarbons, phenols, aldehydes, and esters. This review attempts to update and summarise what is known about the pygidial glands, with particular reference to the morphology of the glands and the biological function of the secretions.
Highlights
The carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) include approximately 40,000 described species that are ecologically important as predators in many ecosystems and range in feeding habits from generalist to specialists [1,2]
The shift in secretion composition may have a dietary origin, as observed in species of the genus Scaphinotus [77]. These findings suggest the role of dietary chemical precursors in the biosynthesis of chemical secretions
Pygidial glands are homologous structures in the Carabidae. They show a range of morphological variations in structural elements, i.e., number of acini, the morphology of ducts and reservoir chamber, and mode of secretion discharge, among carabid species, regardless of habitat and associated ecological differences
Summary
The carabid beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) include approximately 40,000 described species that are ecologically important as predators in many ecosystems and range in feeding habits from generalist to specialists [1,2]. As generalist predators, ground beetles provide important ecosystem services by lowering populations of invertebrate pests and weed seeds [14,15]. A few studies to date have examined the chemical compounds of pygidial gland secretions [26,27,28,29,30]. We attempt to review the current state of knowledge on the pygidial glands of carabid beetles by providing an overview of their structure and the chemical compounds of the secretion
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