TY - JOUR
T1 - Spray mechanism of crepidogastrine bombardier beetles (Carabidae; Crepidogastrini)
AU - Eisner, Thomas
AU - Aneshansley, Daniel J.
AU - Yack, Jayne
AU - Attygalle, Athula B.
AU - Eisner, Maria
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - The defensive glandular apparatus of primitive bombardier beetles of the tribe Crepidogastrini (Carabidae) is described for the first time. As exemplified by two African species (Crepidogaster ambreana and C. atrata), the apparatus conforms to the basic bombardier plan, in that the glands are bicompartmented and the secretion is quinonoid (it contains 1,4-benzoquinones and hydrocarbons), hot, and discharged audibly. In a number of morphological respects the crepidogastrine apparatus resembles that of the classical bombardiers of the tribe Brachinini (rather than that of bombardiers of the paussoid lineage), reinforcing the view, already held on taxonomic grounds, that the Crepidogastrini and Brachinini are closely related. That the Crepidogastrini may be primitive relative to Brachinini is underscored by the finding that, unlike brachinines, crepidogastrines do not pulse their secretory emissions. Moreover, they discharge their secretion as a mist, rather than forcibly in the form of jets.
AB - The defensive glandular apparatus of primitive bombardier beetles of the tribe Crepidogastrini (Carabidae) is described for the first time. As exemplified by two African species (Crepidogaster ambreana and C. atrata), the apparatus conforms to the basic bombardier plan, in that the glands are bicompartmented and the secretion is quinonoid (it contains 1,4-benzoquinones and hydrocarbons), hot, and discharged audibly. In a number of morphological respects the crepidogastrine apparatus resembles that of the classical bombardiers of the tribe Brachinini (rather than that of bombardiers of the paussoid lineage), reinforcing the view, already held on taxonomic grounds, that the Crepidogastrini and Brachinini are closely related. That the Crepidogastrini may be primitive relative to Brachinini is underscored by the finding that, unlike brachinines, crepidogastrines do not pulse their secretory emissions. Moreover, they discharge their secretion as a mist, rather than forcibly in the form of jets.
KW - Benzoquinones
KW - Bombardier beetle
KW - Carabidae
KW - Chemical defense
KW - Coleoptera
KW - Crepidogaster
KW - Evolution
KW - Hydrocarbons
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035662180&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0035662180&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/PL00001853
DO - 10.1007/PL00001853
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0035662180
SN - 0937-7409
VL - 11
SP - 209
EP - 219
JO - Chemoecology
JF - Chemoecology
IS - 4
ER -