title: Predator-prey interactions between shell-boring beetle larvae and rock-dwelling land snails.
abstract: Drilus beetle larvae (Coleoptera: Elateridae) are specialized predators of land snails. Here, we describe various aspects of the predator-prey interactions between multiple Drilus species attacking multiple Albinaria (Gastropoda: Clausiliidae) species in Greece. We observe that Drilus species may be facultative or obligate Albinaria-specialists. We map geographically varying predation rates in Crete, where on average 24% of empty shells carry fatal Drilus bore holes. We also provide first-hand observations and video-footage of prey entry and exit strategies of the Drilus larvae, and evaluate the potential mutual evolutionary impacts. We find limited evidence for an effect of shell features and snail behavioral traits on inter- and intra-specifically differing predation rates. We also find that Drilus predators adjust their predation behavior based on specific shell traits of the prey. In conclusion, we suggest that, with these baseline data, this interesting predator-prey system will be available for further, detailed more evolutionary ecology studies.
authors: Focus Group Character Evolution, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Els
authors: E
authors: Baalbergen
authors: Focus Group Character Evolution, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Renate
authors: R
authors: Helwerda
authors: Focus Group Character Evolution, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Rense
authors: R
authors: Schelfhorst
authors: Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors: Ruth F
authors: RF
authors: Castillo Cajas
authors: St Antonius Hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands; Institute Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Coline H M
authors: CH
authors: van Moorsel
authors: Department of Zoology, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors: Robin
authors: R
authors: Kundrata
authors: Zoologisches Institut der Universität, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Francisco W
authors: FW
authors: Welter-Schultes
authors: Department of Biology, University of Patras, Rio (Patras), Greece.
authors: Sinos
authors: S
authors: Giokas
authors: Focus Group Character Evolution, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Institute Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors: Menno
authors: M
authors: Schilthuizen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D001517:Coleoptera; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006115:Greece; D007814:Larva; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012908:Snails