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Bark-carving behavior of the Japanese horned beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus septentrionalis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

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Abstract

The Japanese horned beetle, Trypoxylus dichotomus septentrionalis, usually aggregates at the wounds caused by boring insects on Quercus oak trees to feed on exuding sap. Here, a unique behavior of the beetle, which enables it to independently obtain sap without any activities of other insects, is reported. Beetles carved intact bark of Fraxinus griffithii, where no sap was exuding, using clypeus. As a result of carving behavior, bark was stripped, and sap exuded from these scars temporarily, which beetles immediately began to lick. A digital video image relating to the article is available at (http://www.momo-p.com/showdetail-e.php?movieid=momo050525td01a).

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Acknowledgements

I thank Drs. A. Mori and K. Yoda for their helpful comments on the manuscript. I am grateful to Dr. S. Cook for his English corrections. Field observation was conducted under the permission of Kamigamo Experimental Station of Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University. This study was supported in part by a Grant for the Biodiversity Research of the 21st Century COE (A14).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Yoshihito Hongo

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  1. Yoshihito Hongo
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Correspondence to Yoshihito Hongo.

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Hongo, Y. Bark-carving behavior of the Japanese horned beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus septentrionalis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). J Ethol 24, 201–204 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-006-0202-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-006-0202-x

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