New behavior report by Canthon virens (Mannerheim, 1829) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in Southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Canthon virens (Mannerheim, 1829) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) prey on leaf-cutting ants, using their body for provisioning larvae, as part of the reproductive behavior. Here, we report an observation of a new behavior of C. virens during the predation of Atta laevigata (Smith, 1858) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Southeastern Brazil. We observed a C. virens rolling a fruit capsule of Eucalyptus sp., which may indicate an ant’s escape strategy from the predation.