A Scarab Feeding on Another Scarab: First Observation of Necrophagy by Canthon histrio (Saint-Fargeau & Audinet-Serville, 1828) on a Dead Passalidae

Clemensou Dos-Reis; Fernando Z. Vaz-de-Mello; Jacques H. C. Delabie

doi:10.37486/2675-1305.ec07035

Authors

Clemensou Dos-Reis Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz/ Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau - CEPEC,CEPLAC https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1580-9585
Fernando Z. Vaz-de-Mello Coleção Entomológica de Mato Grosso Eurides Furtado (CEMT), Departamento de Biologia e Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9697-320X
Jacques H. C. Delabie Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil/Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau (CEPEC), Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil/Coleção Entomológica Gregório Bondar (CEGB), CEPEC, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2695-1061

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37486/2675-1305.ec07035

Keywords:

Copro-necrophagous beetles, Deltochilini, Dung beetle behavior, food resources, bess beetles

Abstract

Besides the widely known behavior of Atta predation by Canthon spp., knowledge of the dietary range of Canthon species is scarce. This note documents the first observation of necrophagy by the dung beetle Canthon histrio on a recently dead Passalidae beetle. The dung beetle exhibited typical nesting behavior by digging into the substrate beneath the Passalidae, although it faced challenges due to the compacted soil. This observation highlights the diverse dietary habits of Canthon species, suggesting that necrophagy may be more widespread than previously documented.

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