Bioacoustics of Homophileurus tricuspis

Distribution. Homophileurus tricuspis is known from Mexico , Guatemala , Belize , Nicaragua , Venezuela , and Brazil ( Endrödi 1978 ), Costa Rica and Panama ( Ratcliffe 2003 ), and El Salvador and Honduras ( Ratcliffe and Cave 2006 ). The specimens in this study are a NEW COUNTRY RECORD for Colombia . Natural history. Adults are usually encountered at lights or occasionally in rotten logs. Ratcliffe & Cave (2006) dissected an arboreal termite nest on Isla Roatán in Honduras and collected an adult H. tricuspis . Larvae in this present study from Potrero, Colombia ( Fig. 15 ) were found developing in the center of an abandoned termite nest in a debris midden ( Figs. 14 a–d). JCN observed strong stridulation by the adult female and vibrations by the larva when held in the hand. Larvae pupated in a cell they produced in the wall of the nest. Luederwaldt (1911) reported H. luederwaldti and Actinobolus trilobus Luederwaldt living in the arboreal nest of two species of Nasutitermes Dudley termites and Actinobolus radians Westwood living in the epigeous nest of Cornitermes Wasmann termites in Brazil . The larvae of these beetles fed upon the nest itself, which could result in the partial or total destruction of the termite nest. Vanin et al . (1983) observed adults and larvae of H. luederwaldti in the arboreal nest of Microcerotermes Silvestre termites; pupal chambers were seen in the walls of the nest. Termitophily for certain species of Phileurini seems to be more common than previously recognized. The adults of H. tricuspis are attracted to lights at night. This species ranges from sea level to 1800 m in elevation ( Ratcliffe 2003 ).