Host-parasitoid-relationship
Guides
Brachinus
bombardier beetles
Brachinus is a genus of ground beetles commonly known as bombardier beetles, native to the Nearctic, Palearctic, Near East, and North Africa. The genus is renowned for its explosive defensive chemistry, wherein beetles discharge a hot, noxious spray from the abdomen when disturbed. Species within Brachinus exhibit diverse ecological strategies: wetland-associated species are pupal ectoparasitoids of water beetles (Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae, Hydrophilidae), while dryland species such as B. explodens and B. crepitans parasitize ground beetle pupae of the genus Amara (Carabidae). The genus has been extensively studied for its chemical ecology, parasitoid life history, and habitat associations across agricultural and natural landscapes.
Diceroprocta apache
citrus cicada, Apache cicada
Diceroprocta apache is a cicada species in the family Cicadidae, commonly known as the citrus cicada or Apache cicada. It has a median life cycle of three to four years from egg to adult death. The species is an important component of riparian food webs in desert regions. It serves as a documented host for the Pacific Cicada Killer wasp (Sphecius convallis). Research indicates its population density is negatively affected by invasive saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) monocultures and positively associated with native Goodding's willow (Salix gooddingii) canopy cover.