Live birth in beetles

Maybe they were parasites, not larvae of this species??

Here is what they wrote in the 3rd edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia:
"Beetles are always dioecious and almost always oviparous; live birth is very rare (in some leaf beetles and staphylinae)."
It would be interesting to learn from a specialist in larvae of this genus, Yuri Mikhailov: Yuri.Mikhailov@usu.ru

This post was edited by amara - 19.01.2009 16: 27

Not exactly about the chrysoline, but still:

Dobler Susanne, Mardulyn Patrick, Pasteels Jacques M., Rowell-Rahier Martine
Host-plant switches and the evolution of chemical defense and life history in the leaf beetle genus Oreina
Source: Evolution (USA) N 6, 1996, vol. 50, pp. 2373-2386
Keywords: coevolution; plant-phytophage; Chrysomelidae (Coleopt.); R. Oreina; chemical protection; live birth

Abstract: Some aspects of evolution and adaptability in R. Oreina beetles are studied, which, as a rule, are characterized by significant plasticity in relation to forage plants, compositae of the Senecioneae group and, sometimes, umbelliferae. 12 species of R. Oreina from different regions of Switzerland and Germany were analyzed. A special feature of the genus is an effective system of chemical protection against plant alkaloids. This system includes cardenolides and pyrrolizidines. The species of the genus are characterized by both egg-laying and live birth, as well as various transitional forms between these types of reproduction. For phylogenetic analysis, EF testing of 18 enzyme genes was used. The constructed genealogical tree confirms the ancestral nature of feeding on compositaceae, while the species capable of "switching" to umbelliferous ones (Oreina speciosa, O. bifrons: forage plant - root Chaerophyllum hirsutum; O. gloriosa - gorichnik Peucedanum osthrutium) constitute a separate advanced phyletic branch. Live birth has occurred independently in the Oreina genus at least twice, and only once has it been rigidly associated with matrotrophy. An evolutionary model of abrupt changes in forage plants (from different families) in a phyletically dense cluster of organisms is proposed. Germany, Abt. Biol. I, Univ. Freiburg, D-79104 Freiburg. Bibl. 64

Some cave beetles are likely to have live births. At least some of them showed "intrauterine" maturation of larvae; after hatching, some larvae immediately molted, and some immediately pupated without molting.

AlexandrB, interesting information, but can you find out more? In what species?

I've seen it several times in the literature. The latter is found in Kryzhanovsky's monograph on Adephaga (fauna of the USSR). It seems to be found in beetles of the genus Aphaenops.

At least some of them showed "intrauterine" maturation of larvae; after hatching, some larvae immediately molted, and some immediately pupated without molting.

Thanks! I was somewhat surprised that someone had studied this process so thoroughly in troglobiont beetles. They are, as far as I know, extremely difficult to catch. And they come across very rarely entomologists. And to observe hatching, molting and pupation is aerobatics (in my amateur understanding)! Moreover (I will assume) that it was necessary to observe in natural conditions, at the fishing site, because they are very demanding to the living conditions - stenobionts.
Thank you again! I will try to find Kryzhanovsky's publication.

I found the monograph either on the ZIN website or on Flora and Fauna

Thanks! I was somewhat surprised that someone had studied this process so thoroughly in troglobiont beetles. They are, as far as I know, extremely difficult to catch. And they come across very rarely entomologists. And to observe hatching, molting and pupation is aerobatics (in my amateur understanding)! Moreover (I will assume) that it was necessary to observe in natural conditions, at the fishing site, because they are very demanding to the living conditions - stenobionts.
Thank you again! I will try to find Kryzhanovsky's publication.

Kryzhanovsky refers (page 75) to this work:

DELEURANCE, S., AND E. DELEURANCE, 1964. L'absence de cycle saisonnier de reproduction chez
les Insectes Coléoptà ̈restroglobies (Bathysciines et Trechines). C. R. Paris Acad.
Sci., 258: p. 5995-5997.

There is also one in Russian. language (that is, you can contact the author):
http://www.maikonline.com/maik/showArticle...auid=VAF7N78807