Journal of Insect Behavior (2004) 17, 115-128

Brian H. Aukema and Kenneth F. Raffa (2004)
Behavior of adult and larval Platysoma cylindrica (Coleoptera: Histeridae) and larval Medetera bistriata (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) during subcortical predation of Ips pini (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)
Journal of Insect Behavior 17 (1), 115-128
Abstract: The most abundant predators of the pine engraver, Ips pini (Say), include Platysoma cylindrica (Paykull) and Medetera bistriata Parent. We amended "bark sandwiches" with pine engravers and adult P. cylindrica and larval M. bistriata, and report observations on these endophytic predators. Adult P. cylindrica preferred adult prey, and appeared to be facultative egg predators, which contrasts with other Histeridae. The larvae of P. cylindrica fed on pine engraver larvae. Protection from predators is generally assumed to be an advantage of an endophytic life history, but we found that this predator exploited the herbivore's gallery architecture to facilitate prey capture. Larval M. bistriata also fed on pine engraver larvae. Immediate paralysis or death of the prey followed a strike with their tentorial rods. Such rapid immobilization, in conjuction with the glandular histology of Medetera spp., suggests that they use a toxin to arrest prey.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Brian H. Aukema, Kenneth F. Raffa

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Ips pini		U.S.A. (mid N)
Platysoma cylindrica (predator)	Ips pini		U.S.A. (mid N)
Medetera bistriata (predator)	Ips pini		U.S.A. (mid N)