Regimbartia attenuata explained

Regimbartia attenuata, commonly known as Japanese water scavenger beetle, is a species of water scavenger beetle[1] widely distributed in the Old World,[2] from northern Australiaand Japan westward to the countries of Arabian Peninsula, including Oman and Yemen. It is the only species of the genus occurring in the Arabian Peninsula.[3] [4] [5] [6]

Distribution

It is found in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines, Sunda Islands, Australia, Japan, Formosa, Indonesia, Cambodia, Cochin-china, and Indochina.[7] [8]

Description

The larval stage of the species is extensively described. Adult female lay eggs in egg cases on substrate such as leaves. Larva has almost symmetrical clypeolabrum, elongated prementum. Third instar larva is metapneustic. Body slender with strong setiferous projections. Thorax and abdomen consists with short to long, membranous projections. Body greyish white in color with brownish sclerotised parts. Head capsule is yellowish brown which is subquadrate, attenuated posteriad. Cervical sclerites are large, and subrectangular. Long, slender antenna with 3 segments. Mandibles slender, and slightly asymmetrical. Maxilla consists with 6-segments, and are slightly longer than antenna. Thoracic membrane covered with fine cuticular pubescence. Abdomen with 10 segments and tapering posteriorly. There are 12 setiferous, membranous projections on abdomen.[9]

Adult beetles have antennae composed of 8 segments (5+3).

Biology

The species is an important link in the diet of many amphibians. Adult beetles were easily eaten by the frog species Pelophylax nigromaculatus, but about 90% of swallowed beetles are excreted quickly. Surprisingly, the beetles survive.[10] [11] [12] Water beetles carry oxygen under their exoskeleton. The exoskeleton protects the beetle from digestive juices in the frog. It allows the beetle to survive in the digestive system of the frog.

Adult beetles are identified as the natural hosts of the fungus Autoicomyces falcifer.[13] Adults are usually found from rabbit carcasses.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Regimbartia attenuata (Fabricius, 1801) . 2021-07-30 . www.gbif.org . en.
  2. Web site: New Data on the Distribution of Old World Hydrophilidae (Coleoptera) . 2021-07-30 . ACTA COLEOPTEROLOGICA XXI. 1. 43 - 51 1.2.2005 ISSN 0178-7217.
  3. Web site: Order Coleoptera, family Hydrophilidae . 2021-07-30 . Arthropod fauna of the UAE, 3: 135–165 .
  4. Web site: Description of the larval stages of the berosine genera Berosus and Regimbartia based on the Japanese species B. japonicus and R. attenuata . 2021-07-30 . biotaxa.org.
  5. Rodriguez . Georgina . Torres . Patricia L. M. . Archangelsky . Miguel . 2020-01-16 . Chaetotaxy and morphometry of the head capsule and head appendages of the genus Derallus Sharp (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) . 2021-07-30 . Zootaxa . 4722 . 5 . 423–442 . 10.11646/zootaxa.4722.5.2. 32230604 . 213474098 .
  6. 2020-08-01 . Seasonal study of the decomposition pattern and insects on a submerged pig cadaver . 2021-07-30 . Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine . 102023 . en . 10.1016/j.jflm.2020.102023. Dalal . Jyoti . Sharma . Sapna . Bhardwaj . Tapeshwar . Dhattarwal . S.K. . Verma . Kapil . 74 . 32784108 . 221125845 .
  7. Web site: On a Collection of Aquatic Beetles (Order: Coleoptera: Gyrinidae, Dytiscidae and Hydrophilidae) of Renuka Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh, India . 2021-07-30 . Rec. zool. Surv. India : 113(Part-2): 61-67, 2013.
  8. Web site: Dytiscidae and Hydrophilidae) PROMMALIA, II, 51-62 . 2021-07-30 . PROMMALIA, II, 51-62.
  9. Web site: Description of the larval stages of the berosine genera Berosus and Regimbartia based on the Japanese species B. japonicus and R. attenuata (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae) . 2021-07-30 . Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 55(1):47-84.
  10. Sugiura . Shinji . August 2020 . Active escape of prey from predator vent via the digestive tract. 2021-07-30 . Current Biology . 30 . 15 . R867–R868 . 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.026. 32750342 . 220938872 . free .
  11. Web site: Beetles eaten alive observed escaping from frog's other end . 2021-07-30 . ABC News . en.
  12. Web site: An insect species can actively escape from the vents of predators via the digestive system . 2021-07-30 . Research at Kobe . en.
  13. Rossi . W . 2018 . New species and new records of Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota) from Thailand . 2021-07-30 . Mycosphere . 9 . 6 . 1151–1172 . 10.5943/mycosphere/9/6/6.
  14. Dalal . Jyoti . Sharma . Sapna . Bhardwaj . Tapeshwar . Dhattarwal . S. K. . Verma . Kapil . 2021-04-03 . A seasonal study of the decomposition pattern and insects on submerged rabbit carcases . 2021-07-30 . Oriental Insects . 55 . 2 . 280–292 . 10.1080/00305316.2020.1789009. 225532749 .

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