Global InformationThorectes lusitanicus information
| Thorectes lusitanicus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Geotrupidae |
| Genus: | Thorectes |
| Species: | T. lusitanicus
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| Binomial name | |
| Thorectes lusitanicus (Jekel, 1865)
| |
Thorectes lusitanicus is a medium-sized dung beetle ranging from 30-175 mg in dry body weight.[1] It is flightless with strong mandibles that allow it to exploit dry dung.[2] It is native to the southern Iberian Peninsula.[1] It is a tunneller that builds shallow tunnels several meters from the site of a dung deposition and transports the dung into the tunnel.[1][3][4] Once the dung is in the tunnel, females of this species lay their eggs within it.[1]
Thorectes lusitanicus is notable for its acorn consumption since researchers previously believed that dung beetles did not consume seeds. In fact, laboratory studies reveal that this unique dung beetle species actually prefers acorns over herbivore dung.[1] Further studies illustrate that acorn consumption leads to many physiological and developmental advantages in T. lusitanicus, such as significantly increased fat body development, increased resistance to cold temperatures, greater ovary development, and greater resistance to generalist pathogens.[2][5][6][7] The acorn consumption of T. lusitanicus also confers ecophysiological and reproductive advantages for the oak tree, as it leads to the beetle acting as a secondary seed disperser.[1][7] Many researchers are interested in the evolutionary relationship between apterism and acorn consumption in T. lusitanicus.[2] Furthermore, important symbiotic relationships within the gut microbiome of this beetle species facilitate its unique polyphagous behavior.[6]
The life cycle of T. lusitanicus starts in autumn when females lay their eggs in herbivore dung. After the offspring develop for 6-7 months, they emerge as adults in the spring.[1] A common livestock veterinary medicine, Ivermectin, poses a serious threat to Thorectes lusitanicus.[8]
- ^ a b c d e f g PéRez-Ramos, Ignacio M.; MarañóN, Teodoro; Lobo, Jorge M.; Verdú, José R. (August 2007). "Acorn removal and dispersal by the dung beetle Thorectes lusitanicus : ecological implications". Ecological Entomology. 32 (4): 349–356. Bibcode:2007EcoEn..32..349P. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.2007.00874.x. hdl:10261/47760. ISSN 0307-6946.
- ^ a b c Verdú, José R.; Casas, José L.; Lobo, Jorge M.; Numa, Catherine (2010-04-09). "Dung Beetles Eat Acorns to Increase Their Ovarian Development and Thermal Tolerance". PLOS ONE. 5 (4): e10114. Bibcode:2010PLoSO...510114V. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010114. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 2852422. PMID 20404931.
- ^ Nichols, Elizabeth; Alarcón, Viviana; Forgie, Shaun; Gomez-Puerta, Luis A; Jones, Matthew S (2017). "Coprophagous Insects and the Ecology of Infectious Diseases of Wildlife". ILAR Journal. 58 (3): 336–342. doi:10.1093/ilar/ilx022. ISSN 1084-2020. PMID 29036417.
- ^ Perri, Daiana V.; Hurtado, Santiago I.; Bruzzone, Octavio; Easdale, Marcos H. (2024-02-12). "A Key Interaction Behind the Scenes: Dung Beetles in Livestock Production from Arid and Semi-Arid Rangelands". Neotropical Entomology. 53 (3): 469–479. Bibcode:2024NeEnt.tmp....6P. doi:10.1007/s13744-024-01131-y. ISSN 1678-8052. PMID 38347319.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: bibcode (link) - ^ Verdú, José R.; Lobo, Jorge M.; Numa, Catherine; Pérez-Ramos, Ignacio M.; Galante, Eduardo; Marañón, Teodoro (2007-12-01). "Acorn preference by the dung beetle, Thorectes lusitanicus, under laboratory and field conditions". Animal Behaviour. 74 (6): 1697–1704. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.03.016. ISSN 0003-3472.
- ^ a b Hernández, Noemi; Escudero, José A.; Millán, Álvaro San; González-Zorn, Bruno; Lobo, Jorge M.; Verdú, José R.; Suárez, Mónica (April 2015). "Culturable aerobic and facultative bacteria from the gut of the polyphagic dung beetle Thorectes lusitanicus". Insect Science. 22 (2): 178–190. Bibcode:2015InsSc..22..178H. doi:10.1111/1744-7917.12094. hdl:10045/34638. ISSN 1672-9609. PMID 24339348.
- ^ a b Verdú, José R.; Casas, José L.; Cortez, Vieyle; Gallego, Belén; Lobo, Jorge M. (2013-07-16). "Acorn Consumption Improves the Immune Response of the Dung Beetle Thorectes lusitanicus". PLOS ONE. 8 (7): e69277. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...869277V. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0069277. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3712924. PMID 23874934.
- ^ Verdú, José R.; Cortez, Vieyle; Ortiz, Antonio J.; Lumaret, Jean-Pierre; Lobo, Jorge M.; Sánchez-Piñero, Francisco (2020-06-03). "Biomagnification and body distribution of ivermectin in dung beetles". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): 9073. Bibcode:2020NatSR..10.9073V. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-66063-0. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 7270108. PMID 32493927.