Hoplopyga brasiliensis

Hoplopyga brasiliensis is a species of beetles of the family Scarabaeidae.[1]

Hoplopyga brasiliensis
Hoplopyga brasiliensis. Mounted specimen.
Scientific classification
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H. brasiliensis
Binomial name
Hoplopyga brasiliensis
(Gory & Percheron, 1833)

Description

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Hoplopyga brasiliensis can reach a length of about 20–36 millimetres (0.79–1.42 in).[2]

Biology

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Larvae of this species are termitophilous, living in the nests of Cornitermes cumulans and Diversitermes diversimiles (Termitidae).[3] They construct pupal chambers with the decaying wood as well as a significant layer of their own feces where they develop.[2] The feces contains cuticular hydrocarbons that the specific termite hosts use to identify one another, suggesting that this element of chamber construction plays a role in protecting H. brasiliensis larvae from termite patrols. [3]

References

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  1. ^ EoL
  2. ^ a b Garcia, F.P et al. Survey of saproxylophagous Melolonthidae (Coleoptera) and some biological aspects in Aquidauana, MS
  3. ^ a b Puker, Anderson; Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano; Rosa, Cassiano S; Grossi, Paschoal C (2012-11-01). "New Records of Termite Hosts for Two Species of Hoplopyga, with Notes on the Life Cycle of Hoplopyga brasiliensis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 105 (6): 872–878. doi:10.1603/AN12068. ISSN 1938-2901. S2CID 86274595.872-878&rft.date=2012-11-01&rft_id=https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:86274595#id-name=S2CID&rft.issn=1938-2901&rft_id=info:doi/10.1603/AN12068&rft.aulast=Puker&rft.aufirst=Anderson&rft.au=Lopes-Andrade, Cristiano&rft.au=Rosa, Cassiano S&rft.au=Grossi, Paschoal C&rft_id=https://academic.oup.com/aesa/article/105/6/872/77962&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:Hoplopyga brasiliensis" class="Z3988">