Completely engaged three-dimensional mandibular gear-like structures in the adult horned beetles: reconsideration of bark-carving behaviors (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae).

ABSTRACT: Adult horned beetles (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Dynastinae) such as Trypoxylusdichotomus (Linnaeus, 1771) exhibit bark-carving behaviors to feed on tree sap, in part by using small projections of the clypeus. However, in the present experiments, adult horned beetles (T.dichotomus and Dynasteshercules (Linnaeus, 1758)) used their mandibles and not the projections of the clypeus to carve bark. Our findings show the presence of completely engaged mandibular interlocking, gear-like surface structures in molar areas that guide mandible opening and closure, and lead to completely synchronous movements of adult horned beetle mandibles. Three-dimensional shapes of these mandibular gear-like structures are complex and remained in contact after the death of a beetle. Moreover, a

SUBMITTER: Ichiishi W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6331513 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature