Beetles cooperate in brood care
Published:26 Oct.2022 Source:University of Würzburg
Ambrosia beetles are spread all over the world. In the case of the Fruit-tree pinhole borer (Xyleborinus saxesenii) native to Europe and invasive worldwide, Biedermann described an extraordinarily highly developed social system already in 2011 (publication Biedermann & Taborsky, PNAS).
He has now found a similar social system in the sugercane shot-hole borer Xyleborus affinis, which lives in the tropics of the Americas. No other beetles with this peculiarity are known so far.
Biedermann presents his new findings on the social system of the American beetle in the magazine Frontiers in Ecology & Evolution: After a beetle mother has established a new nest with fungal gardens and the first offspring develops, many young beetles stay with their mother for the time being. They help her to care for the fungi and to raise the offspring.