New records of canthariphily among beetles (Coleoptera) from Iran

Year 2009, Volume: 33 Issue: 4, 243 - 251, 01.08.2009

İran Islamı Mahmood Reza Nıkbakhtzadeh

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

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Coleoptera, Meloidae, kantharidin, kantharifil, pharmacophagy, mimikri

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