Abstract
Rove beetles belonging to the genus Corotoca (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) are termitophiles exclusively found in nests of Constrictotermes (Isoptera: Termitidae). We observed the reproductive behavior of Corotoca melantho and C. fontesi during host (C. cyphergaster) foraging events. The reproductive behaviors of both species are similar. The variables collected for analysis were distance traveled, the time of larval deposition, nest return time, and locomotion speed. The fact that the female stops in the middle of the foraging trail to deposit the larva leads to a discussion of how its physiological or voluntary mechanisms function to determine the correct stopping time and the importance of speed when returning to the nest as a strategy to avoid predation. This study provides new information concerning the life cycle of Corotoca spp., although complete understanding of host-termitophile relationships, their evolutionary history, and the significance of viviparity will require additional studies.
Highlights
Active termite nests commonly house diverse species of rove beetles of the family Staphylinidae
Rove beetles belonging to the genus Corotoca (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) are termitophiles exclusively found in nests of Constrictotermes (Isoptera: Termitidae)
We observed the reproductive behavior of Corotoca melantho and C. fontesi during host (Constrictotermes cyphergaster) foraging events
Summary
Active termite nests commonly house diverse species of rove beetles of the family Staphylinidae. The subfamily Aleocharinae is by far the most successful group of guests in termite nests (Seevers, 1957; Kistner, 1969; Cristaldo et al, 2012), and those species are commonly found inside the nests, information concerning their ecology and behavior is still quite scarce (Kistner, 1969, Jacobson et al, 1986). Has evolved several times among aleocharine rove beetles, and includes a wide range of morphologically specialized organisms. Termitophylous clades have arisen at least 11 times in the subfamily Aleocharinae, with over 650 described species displaying a series of adaptations to either bribe or trick their hosts (Grassé, 1997; Kanao et al, 2016; Rosa et al, 2018). Two morphological adaptations have evolved: the inconspicuous horseshoe-shaped forebody
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