Dung-Beetle Fossil Brood Balls: The IchnogeneraCoprinisphaeraSauer andQuirogaichnus(Coprinisphaeridae)

Food Relocation Behavior, Nests, and Brood Balls of Canthon quinquemaculatus Laporte de Castelnau (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae)

“…The complete isolation of the egg chamber from the provision chamber by a partition of soil material is also present in necrophagous species of Coprophanaeus Olsoufieff (Fabre 1899; Judulien 1899; Barattini and Sáenz 1953;Cantil et al 2012) and preserved in Pleistocene brood balls from Argentina named as Coprinisphaera akatanka Cantil et al (2013). This isolation was proposed as a mechanism to avoid contact between the egg and possible cleptoparasites, parasitoids, and fungi brought with the provisions (Laza 2006;Sánchez 2009). The isolation would be maximum in the case of brood balls constructed by necrophagous species (Cantil et al 2012(Cantil et al , 2013.…”

Uma câmara de coleóptero (Coprinisphaera) do Cretáceo Superior, Bacia Bauru

“…2). discussão Laza (2006) procedeu a uma revisão do icnogênero Coprinisphaera reconhecendo a existência de cinco icnoespécies: C. ecuadoriensis Sauer, 1955, C. murguiai (Roselli, 1939, C. kraglievichi (Roselli, 1939), C. kheprii Laza, 2006 e C. tonnii Laza, 2006. A primeira, C. ecuadoriensis, icnoespécie tipo do icnogênero, diferencia-se das demais principalmente pela ausência de uma câmara secundária ou de estruturas adicionais circundando a abertura.…”

“…De todas as ocorrências, as da América do Sul, são as consideradas como mais ricas nas icnofaunas de coleópteros (Laza, 2006). Até o momento, os depósitos sul-americanos com essa icnofauna eram conhecidos em formações presentes no Equador, no Uruguai e na Argentina, sendo a mais antiga a Formação Asencio do Uruguai, datada do Eoceno, mas que já chegou a ser considerada anteriormente como de idade cretácica (Genise et al, 2000;Genise, 2004;Laza, 2006).…”

Primer hallazgo de un escarabajo en un ichnofósil Coprinisphaeridae: Phanaeus violetae n. sp. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) de una bola de cangahua del Ecuador

“…Halffter & Matthews (1966) reported that "… it seems most probable that species of Phanaeus or Dichotomius, or both, are involved in all cases". Laza (2006) wrote: "C. ecuadoriensis resembles brood balls constructed by Dichotomiina (tunnelers), and Canthonina (rollers)". In spite of a great amount of research, that has been recently synthesized and updated (Genise et al, 2000;Genise, 2004;Laza 2006;Krell, 2006;Krell & Schawaller, 2011;Genise, 2012, personal communication), it has never been possible to relate any sample of Cangahua balls -nor of any similar structure belonging to the ichnofamily Coprinisphaeridae established by Genise (2004)-to a definite taxonomic group, in the absence of the related beetle.…”

“…Laza (2006) wrote: "C. ecuadoriensis resembles brood balls constructed by Dichotomiina (tunnelers), and Canthonina (rollers)". In spite of a great amount of research, that has been recently synthesized and updated (Genise et al, 2000;Genise, 2004;Laza 2006;Krell, 2006;Krell & Schawaller, 2011;Genise, 2012, personal communication), it has never been possible to relate any sample of Cangahua balls -nor of any similar structure belonging to the ichnofamily Coprinisphaeridae established by Genise (2004)-to a definite taxonomic group, in the absence of the related beetle. The discovery of a fossil scarab beetle associated to a specimen of Coprinisphaera ecuadoriensis finally reveals the true maker of at least one representative of this ichnofamily, extensively distributed (Laza, 2006) in Southern America, Africa, Europe (NW Italy) and Asia (Pakistan).…”