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Photo#296803
beetle-snail interaction - Cercyon

beetle-snail interaction - Cercyon
McIntosh Woods State Park, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, USA
June 29, 2009
Size: 1.7 mm
I was photographing some snails--I removed some wet moss along with the snails. As I was photographing this ambersnail a beetle landed on it. Then it seemed to deliberately move under the snail's foot and disappear. I was distracted with other snails at the time and did not think about how remarkable that was until later. Was it a chance encounter and random behavior or does this beetle interact with the snails some way?

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beetle-snail interaction - Cercyon beetle-snail interaction - Cercyon beetle-snail interaction - Cercyon beetle-snail interaction - Cercyon

Cercyon of sorts
can't comment on behaviour -- other than stating that i've never seen them on snails, only in dung/compost/carrion, & stuff like that

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