Abstract
The tropical forest rove beetle Leistotrophus versicoloris a specialized obligate predator of adult Diptera that exhibits unusual flexibility and complexity in the capture of its prey. Individuals can be located on vertebrate dung or carrion, where they wait to ambush incoming flies drawn to these materials. But in places without rotting materials, the beetles switch to waiting on leaves or rocks, where they may use secretions to lure very small flies to them. Evidence for chemical luring comes from observations of small flies closely approaching and sometimes touching immobile beetles. In addition, the beetles have several specialized behavior patterns that involve the release of highly scented secretory or excretory products from structures at the tip of the abdomen. These materials may be deposited on the substrate, with the beetle then positioning its head over the applied substances, or the beetle may wave its abdomen tip with its scent-releasing devices toward small flies that happen to approach it. The ability to employ alternative tactics enables individuals to forage successfully even in areas that do not contain fly-attracting rotting matter.
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Forsyth, A., Alcock, J. Ambushing and prey-luring as alternative foraging tactics of the fly-catching rove beetleLeistotrophus versicolor (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). J Insect Behav 3, 703–718 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065960
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01065960