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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Staphyliniformia » Hydrophiloidea » Clown Beetles (Histeridae) » Histerinae » Hololeptini » Hololepta » subgenus Leionota (Hololepta subgenus Leionota) » Hololepta yucateca
Photo#1753437
Hololepta yucateca
Copyright © 2019 Salvador Vitanza

Hololepta yucateca
Nogales, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, USA
November 16, 2019
Size: 17 mm to base of jaws
Coordinates: 31.335115, -110.937923
Elevation: 3,931 ft
This species is relatively abundant in a large bin with composting kitchen waste that is teeming with black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, larvae. Although I have not read it in the literature, I assume Hololepta yucateca is predating on these maggots. Another one of my assumptions is that the mites on this specimen are phoretic (Mesostigmata?), but I wonder why a few of them congregated between the beetle's jaws and seemed to be very active there. Doing what? A larger group of mites remained under the beetle. Does anyone know what is going on or wants to share likely explanations?
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Contributed by Salvador Vitanza on 16 November, 2019 - 7:46pm
Last updated 16 November, 2019 - 9:46pm

Mite images also placed here
… Salvador Vitanza, 23 May, 2020 - 5:48pm login or register to post comments

I agree...
the beetle was predacious on the fly larvae and the mites are phoretic. Their placement on the beetle is probably random
… Blaine Mathison, 17 November, 2019 - 8:07am login or register to post comments

 
I've read that this beetle species
is a predator of the agave weevil, Scyphophorus acupunctatus, larvae in rotting Agave plants, but I wonder if their predation on Hermetia illucens larvae in compost has been documented. Thank you Blaine!
… Salvador Vitanza, 17 November, 2019 - 10:03am login or register to post comments

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