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Insects
Volume 9
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10.3390/insects9030092
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Article

The Rolling of Food by Dung Beetles Affects the Oviposition of Competing Flies

by
Manuel A. Ix-Balam
1,
Maria G. A. Oliveira
1,
Júlio Louzada
2,
Jeremy N. McNeil
3,* and
Eraldo Lima
1
1
Departamento de Entomologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil
2
Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Lavras, MG 37200-000, Brazil
3
Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Insects 2018, 9(3), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects9030092
Submission received: 20 June 2018 / Revised: 14 July 2018 / Accepted: 23 July 2018 / Published: 31 July 2018
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chemical Ecology)
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Abstract

Flies are the main competitors of dung beetles for oviposition sites and rolling dung beetles relocate their food to reduce interspecific competition. Furthermore, dung beetles deposit chemical substances on the food ball that may repel fly larvae and certain predators. In the present study, using Deltochilum furcatum, a dung beetle that does not exhibit parental care and the blow-fly, Lucilia cuprina, we tested the hypothesis that pygidial secretions deposited on the food ball could also make it less attractive as an oviposition site for flies. Food balls rolled by either D. furcatum males or females received significantly fewer eggs that balls that had not been rolled by beetles. Also, flies laid significantly fewer eggs on food balls treated with secretions collected from male pygidial glands. Reduced fly oviposition may be a direct effect of compounds the beetles deposited, acting as an allomone, and/or an indirect negative effect on the microbial community that stimulates fly oviposition. A model of the reproductive biology of this species is proposed.
Keywords: Deltochilum furcatum; dung beetle; interspecific competition; Lucilia cuprina; pygidial secretion; resource marking by both sexes Deltochilum furcatum; dung beetle; interspecific competition; Lucilia cuprina; pygidial secretion; resource marking by both sexes
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MDPI and ACS Style

Ix-Balam, M.A.; A. Oliveira, M.G.; Louzada, J.; McNeil, J.N.; Lima, E. The Rolling of Food by Dung Beetles Affects the Oviposition of Competing Flies. Insects 2018, 9, 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects9030092

AMA Style

Ix-Balam MA, A. Oliveira MG, Louzada J, McNeil JN, Lima E. The Rolling of Food by Dung Beetles Affects the Oviposition of Competing Flies. Insects. 2018; 9(3):92. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects9030092

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ix-Balam, Manuel A., Maria G. A. Oliveira, Júlio Louzada, Jeremy N. McNeil, and Eraldo Lima. 2018. "The Rolling of Food by Dung Beetles Affects the Oviposition of Competing Flies" Insects 9, no. 3: 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects9030092

APA Style

Ix-Balam, M. A., A. Oliveira, M. G., Louzada, J., McNeil, J. N., & Lima, E. (2018). The Rolling of Food by Dung Beetles Affects the Oviposition of Competing Flies. Insects, 9(3), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects9030092

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