New records of canthariphily among beetles (Coleoptera) from Iran

Abstract

Four coleopteran species of Cantharis livida Linnaeus, 1758 (Cantharidae), Gastrophysa polygoni Linnaeus, 1758 (Chrysomelidae), Malachius bipustulatus Linnaeus, 1758 (Melyridae) and Certallum ebulinum (Linnaeus, 1767) (Cerambycidae) from different regions of Iran exhibited an obvious resemblance to the predominant meloid species occurring where they were collected. Tiny amounts of cantharidin- far below the average content for meloids was detected in them using GC-MS analysis. Because of the evident similarity (approximate size, general colouration, elytral pattern, habitat and seasonal activity) between each of these cantharidin-bearing mimics and their meloid models, it is assumed that a Müllerian mimicry exists reciprocally in which some non-producer beetles obtain cantharidin from external sources to be chemically protected against their natural enemies and enhance their natural fitness.

Keywords

• Coleoptera
• Meloidae
• cantharidin
• canthariphily
• pharmacophagy
• mimicry

İran’da Coleoptera takımına bağlı kantharifil böceklere ait yeni kayıtlar

Öz

İran'ın farklı bölgelerindeki Coleoptera takımına bağlı dört tür; Cantharis livida Linnaeus, 1758 (Cantharidae), Gastrophysa polygoni Linnaeus, 1758 (Chrysomelidae), Malachius bipustulatus Linnaeus, 1758 (Melyridae) ve Certallum ebulinum (Linnaeus, 1767) (Cerambycidae), toplandıkları yerlerdeki baskın Meloid türlerine çok açık bir benzerlik göstermişlerdir. Küçük miktarlarda - Meloidler için ortalama değerin çok altındaki miktarlarda - cantharidin GC-MS analizi kullanılarak tespit edilmiştir. Kantharidin taşıyan taklitlerin her birinin, kendi meloid modelleri ile aralarındaki açık benzerlikten dolayı (yaklaşık büyüklük, genel renklenme, elytra yapısı, habitat ve mevsimsel aktivite), bu maddelerin üreticisi olmayan böceklerin, doğal düşmanlarına karşı kimyasal olarak korunmak ve kendi doğal sağlıklarını arttırmak için, dış kaynaklardan cantharidin elde ettiği birbirinin yerine geçen bir Müllerian taklitçiliğinin var olduğu kabul edilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Coleoptera
• Meloidae
• kantharidin
• kantharifil
• pharmacophagy
• mimikri

References

1. Blodgett, S. L., J. E. Carrel & R. A. Higgins, 1991. Cantharidin content of blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) collected from Kansas alfalfa and implications for inducing cantharidiasis. Environmental Entomology, 20: 776-780.
2. Butler, L., 1984. Additional observations on the association of Pedilus (Pedilidae) with Meloe (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Entomological News, 95: 101-102.
3. Capinera, J. L., D. R. Gardner & F. R. Stermitz, 1985. Cantharidin levels in blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) associated with alfalfa in Colorado. Journal of Economic Entomology, 78: 1052-1055.
4. Carrel, J. E. & T. Eisner, 1974. Cantharidin: Potent feeding deterrent to insects. Science, 183: 755- 756.
5. Carrel, J. E., J. P. Doom & J. P. McCormick, 1986. Identification of cantharidin in false blister beetles (Coleoptera. Meloidae) from Florida. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 12: 741-47.
6. Carrel, J. E., M. H. McCairel, A. J. Slagle, J. P. Doom, J. Brill & J. P. McCormick, 1993. Cantharidin production in a blister beetle. Experientia, 49: 171-174.
7. Dettner, K., 1997. “Inter and intraspecific transfer of toxic insect compound cantharidin, 115-?45”. In: Vertical Food Web Interactions (Eds.: K. Dettner, G. Bauer & W. Völkl). Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany. 390 pp.
8. Dixon, A. F. G., M. Martin-Smith & S. J. Smith, 1963. Isolation of cantharidin from Melöe proscarabeus. Canadian Pharmaceutical Journal, 29: 501-503.

9. Eisner, T., S. R. Smedley, D. K. Young, M. Eisner, B. Roach & J. Meinwald, 1996a. Chemical basis of courtship in a beetle (Neopyrochroa flabellata): Cantharidin as precopulatory "enticing" agent. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 93: 6494-6499.
10. Eisner, T., S. R. Smedley, D. K. Young, M. Eisner, B. Roach, & J. Meinwald, 1996b. Chemical basis of courtship in a beetle (Neopyrochroa flabellata): Cantharidin as "nuptial" gift. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 93: 6499- 6503.
11. Frank, J. & K. Dettner, 2001. Attraction of the fungus gnat Bradysia optata to cantharidin. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata, 100: 261-266.
12. Frenzel, M. & K. Dettner, 1994. Quantification of cantharidin in canthariphilous Ceratopogonidae (Diptera), Anthomyiidae (Diptera) and cantharidin producing Oedemeridae (Coleoptera). Journal of Chemical Ecology, 20: 1795-1812.
13. Hemp, C., A. Hemp & K. Dettner, 1999a. Canthariphilous insects in east Africa. Journal of East African Natural History, 88: 1-15.
14. Hemp, C., A. Hemp & K. Dettner, 1999b. Attraction of the colour beetle species Pallenothriocera rufimembris by cantharidin (Cleridae: Coleoptera). Entomologia Generalis, 24: 115-123.
15. Hemp, C. & K. Dettner, 2000. Attraction of Miridae and Lygaeidae (Heteroptera) to cantharidin. Ecotropica, 6: 99-102.
16. Hemp, C. & K. Dettner, 2001. Compilation of canthariphilous insects. Beitrage Entomology, 51: 231-245.
17. Hölz, C., G. Streil & K. Dettner, 1994. Intersexual transfer of a toxic terpenoid during copulation and its paternal allocation to developmental stages: Quantification of cantharidin in cantharidin-producing Oedemerids (Coleoptera: Oedemeridae) and canthariphilous Pyrochroids (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae). Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, 49: 856-864.
18. Juanjie, T., Z. Youwie, W. Shuyong, D. Zhengji & Z. Chuanxian, 1995. Investigation on the natural resources and utilization of the Chinese medicinal beetles-Meloidae. Acta Entomologica Sinica, 38: 324-331.
19. LeSage, L. & Y. Bousquet, 1983. A new record of attacks by Pedilus (Pedilidae) on Melöe (Coleoptera: Meloidae). Entomological News, 94: 95-6.
20. Mafra-Neto, A. & P. Jolivet, 1994. “Entomophagy in Chrysomelidae: Adult Aristobrotica angulicollis (Erichson) feeding on adult Meloids (Coleoptera), 171-178”. In: Novel Aspects of Biology of Chrysomelidae (Eds.: P. H. Jolivet, M. L. Cox & E. Petitpierre). Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 600 pp.
21. McCormick, J. P. & J. E. Carrel, 1987. “Cantharidin biosynthesis and function in meloid beetles, 307-?50”. In: Pheromone Biochemistry (Eds.: G. D. Prestwitch & G. J. Blomquist). Academic Press, Orlando, Florida, USA, 565 pp.
22. Nicholls, D. S. H., T. I. Christmas & D. E. Greig, 1990. Oedemerid blister beetle dermatosis: A Review. Journal of American Academy of Dermatology, 22: 815-819.
23. Nikbakhtzadeh, M. R. & S. Tirgari, 2002. Blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) in Nahavand County (Hamedan Province, Iran) and their ecological relationship to other coleopteran Families. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 31: 55-62.
24. Pemberton, R. W., 1999. Insects and other arthropods used as drugs in Korean traditional medicine. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 65: 207-216.
25. Pinto, J. D., 1978. The parasitization of blister Beetles by species of Miridae. The Pan- Pacific Entomologist, 54: 57-60.
26. Schütz, C. & K. Dettner, 1992. Cantaridin-secretion by elytral nothes of male Anthicid species (Coleoptera: Anthicidae). Zeitschrift für Naturforschungs, 47: 290-299.
27. Wang, G. S., 1989. Medical uses of Mylabris in ancient China and recent studies. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 26: 147-162.
28. Williams, A. H. & D. K. Young, 1999. Attraction of Pedilus lugubris (Coleoptera: Pyrochroidae) to Epicauta murina and Epicauta fabricii (Coleoptera: Meloidae) and new food plant records for Epicauta spp. The Great Lake Entomologist, 32: 97-99.