SOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN PASSALID BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: PASSALIDAE): COOPERATIVE BROOD CARE

Authors

Jack C. Schuster, Universidad del Valle de GuatemalaFollow
Laura B. Schuster, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala

Date of this Version

6-1985

Citation

Florida Entomologist 68 (2), June 1985, p. 266-272.

Comments

Copyright Jack Schuster.

Abstract

A brief summary is given concerning passalid social behavior in relation to their life cycle. Passalid pairs defend log tunnels and remain with off- spring from egg to adulthood. Parent-offspring cooperation involving care of other offspring is a step in the evolution of eusociality. Young adult passalids cooperated with their parents in repair of sibling pupal cases. Co- operative brood care between parents and juveniles has not been reported previously for non-Hymenopterous or non-Isopterous arthropods. The pres- ence of overlap of generations and cooperative brood care by at least temporarily non-reproductive adult individuals in certain passalid species suggest that we might consider these passalids to possess one of the highest levels of subsocial behavior known for arthropods. Habitat, trophic relations between individuals, and sex determination mechanisms suggest parallels with the evolution of termite sociality.

Se resumen brevemente lo que se conoce acerca del comportamiento social de passalidor en relaci6n a su ciclo de vida. Parejas de pasalidos difienden tu'neles en palos y se quedan con su prole desde huevo hasta adulto. Cooperacion entre padres y prole involucrando cuidado de otra prole, es una etapa en la evolucion de la eusocialidad. Jovenes adultos cooperaron con sus padres en la reparaci6n de capullos pupales de sus hermanos. Cuidado de la cria en cooperaci6n entre padres y juveniles no ha sido reportado anterior- mente para los artropodos no-Hymenopteros o no-Isopteros. La presencia de traslape de generaciones y cooperaci6n entre adultos y prole que son temporalmente no-reproductivas en algunas especies de pasalidos, sugiere que estos pasalidos poseen uno de los niveles conocidos mas altos de com- portamiento subsocial entre los artr6podos. Habitat, relaciones troficas entre individuos y mecanismos de determinacion de sexo, sugieren paralelas con la evolucion de la eusocialidad en termitas.