Defensive production of formic acid (80%) by a carabid beetle (Galerita lecontei)

Carmen Rossini, Athula B. Attygalle, Andrés González, Scott R. Smedley, Maria Eisner, Jerrold Meinwald, Thomas Eisner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

The carabid beetle Galerita lecontei has a pair of abdominal defensive glands that secrete a mixture of formic acid, acetic acid, and lipophilic components (lung-chain hydrocarbons and esters). Formic acid, at the concentration of 80%, is the principal constituent. The beetle ejects the secretion as a spray, which it aims accurately toward parts of the body subjected to assault. At full capacity, the glands store 4.5 mg of formic acid (3% of body mass), enough for upward of six ejections. The beetle reloads the glands at a rate of 126 μg of formic acid per day. For the approximately 500 secretory cells of the glands, this means an hourly output of 10 ng of formic acid per cell, or about 5% of cell volume. Replenishing empty glands to their full formic acid load takes the beetle an estimated 37 days. Replenishing the 0.7 mg of formic acid expended in a single discharge takes 5.5 days.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6792-6797
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume94
Issue number13
DOIs
StatePublished - 24 Jun 1997

Keywords

  • Carabidae
  • Chemical defense
  • Predation
  • Secretory rate

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