Brandt Weary, Entomologist, received a 2018 grant from Save Mount Diablo’s Mary Bowerman Science and Research Program and presented his research at Save Mount Diablo’s 5th Annual Mary Bowerman Science & Research Colloquium in December 2018.
Weary summarized his results as follows: Promecognathus ground beetles from the Diablo range specialize on hunting millipedes that are chemically defended with cyanide. These beetles utilize a unique hunting behavior to subdue their toxic prey, which we have captured on video for the first time. Promecognathus is also the first-known predator to display resistance to cyanide.
View Weary’s presentation on the predatory behavior and cyanide resistance of millipede-hunting beetles in the Diablo Range here.
Check out Weary’s video of millipede-hunting beetles:
