Promecognathus Explained

Promecognathus is a genus of ground beetles in the family Carabidae. There are at least two described species in Promecognathus. Both species of Promecognathus are known to predate upon Xystocheir dissecta, which is a species of flat-backed millipede that produces hydrogen cyanide as a chemical defense. The beetles do not avoid exposure to the defense, meaning they are likely physically resistant to hydrogen cyanide.^[1]

Species

These two species belong to the genus Promecognathus:

• Promecognathus crassus LeConte, 1868
• Promecognathus laevissimus (Dejean, 1829)

Further reading

• Book: Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, Volume 1: Archostemata - Myxophaga - Adephaga. 2017. Lobl . I.. Smetana . A.. Apollo Books. 978-90-04-33029-0.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ricciuti . Ed . These Beetles Withstand Cyanide Blasts to Eat Millipedes . Entomology Today . Entomological Society of America . 1 October 2020.