Specialized adaptations for springtail predation in Mesozoic beetles.
Specialized adaptations for springtail predation in Mesozoic beetles.
复制标题
中生代甲虫对跳尾捕食的专门适应
DOI：
10.1038/s41598-017-00187-8
复制
发表时间：
2017-03-07
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
Li LZ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Yin ZW;Cai CY;Huang DY;Li LZ
昆虫表现出各种形态特化的特定行为，这些允许重建古生物学特征。尽管捕食者-被捕食者策略在昆虫进化中至关重要，但捕食的特定方面的出现往往很难从六足动物的化石记录中确定。在这里，我们报告了高度专业化的，白垩纪中期的蚂蚁状石甲虫（隐翅虫科：Scydmaeninae）的发现，显示形态变化之间未知的生活scydmaenids和与捕食跳虫（弹尾目），一个广泛和丰富的组显着更大的地质年龄。Cascomastigus monstrabilisgen。新种（新种）具有巨大的体型、细长的棒状上颚须、齿状上颚，更重要的是，触角细长且高度变异，可作为触角刚毛陷阱。这种触角的变化类似于现代的甲虫属Loricera（步甲科：Loricerinae），一个拥有专门用于捕捉跳虫的特殊触角刚毛陷阱的群体。C中存在相同的触角刚毛陷阱。Monstrabilis在晚中生代昆虫中展示了一种独特而引人注目的专性捕食形式。
Insects exhibit a variety of morphological specializations specific to particular behaviors, and these permit the reconstruction of palaeobiological traits. Despite the critical importance of predator-prey strategies in insect evolution, the appearance of particular aspects of predation are often difficult to determine from the fossil record of hexapods. Here we report the discovery of highly specialized, mid-Cretaceous ant-like stone beetles (Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae) displaying morphological modifications unknown among living scydmaenids and associated with predation on springtails (Collembola), a widespread and abundant group of significantly greater geological age.Cascomastigus monstrabilisgen. et sp. nov. exhibits an extremely large body size, elongate clubbed maxillary palpi, toothed mandibles, and more importantly, slender and highly modified antennae that functioned as an antennal setal trap. Such an antennal modification is analogous to that of the modern ground beetle genusLoricera(Carabidae: Loricerinae), a group possessing a specialized antennal setal trap exclusively for the capture of springtails. The presence of an identical antennal setal trap inC. monstrabilisdemonstrates a unique and dramatic form of obligate predation among the late Mesozoic insects.