Amphotis marginata

Amphotis marginata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Nitidulidae
Genus: Amphotis
Species:
A. marginata
Binomial name
Amphotis marginata
(Fabricius, 1781)

Amphotis marginata is a nitidulid beetle.[1]

Description

The beetles are 3.8–5.8 mm in size.[2]

Symbiotic relationship

Beetles of the species Amphotis marginata have a symbiotic relationship with ants, specifically Lasius fuliginosus. Adults primarily rely on these ants for their nutrition. They are able to get the ants to release the harvested food by mimicking the food-begging signals used between ants on the foraging trails.[1]

Solicitation of Trophallaxis by A. marginata beetles from L. fuliginosus host foragers.

Range

Occurrences registered through the sources aggregated by GBIF, suggests that Amphotis marginata exists mainly in Europe. Occurrences have been registered from the south of Scandinavia to the north of Spain.[3]

Habitat

Due to the symbiotic relationship with Lasius fuliginosus, Amphotis marginata has a habitat close to the foraging paths of these ants.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Nascimento, Fabio S.; Hölldobler, Bert; Kwapich, Christina L. (2017). "Amphotis marginata (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) a highwayman of the ant Lasius fuliginosus". PLOS ONE. 12 (8): e0180847. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0180847. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 5546582. PMID 28783744.
  2. ^ UK Beetles: Amphotis marginata (Fabricius, 178)
  3. ^ Amphotis marginata (Fabricius, 1781) in GBIF Secretariat (2019). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2020-06-06

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