Their habitat is mainly tropical areas but also includes North America. These beetles can be found in decaying logs and stumps. Wood infested by these beetles is usually well decomposed and falls apart readily. Larvae and adults live together in a network of galleries dug in the wood, forming small colonies that show some social organization, a very rare trait among beetles.
Adults care for larvae and feed them by preparing food with salivary secretions. Larvae and adults eat not only rotting wood, but also their own excrement. In so doing, they transmit the intestinal parasites they need to help them digest cellulose. Despite their size and strong mandibles, Bess beetles do not bite. When disturbed, adults produce a squeaking sound by rubbing their wings on the abdomen. This is apparently used for communication between members of the colony. Both larvae and adults can emit these audible signals. However, the sounds made by larvae, by rubbing their hind legs against their abdomens, are harder to hear. There are around 14 different calls associated with particular behaviors including aggression and courtship.
Adult beetles are up to 1 3/8 inches long, shining black with a series of grooves running the length of the wing covers (elytra) and a short horn on the front of the head between the eyes. Immature beetles are similar to "white grubs" (Coleoptera: Scarabidae). However, larvae only have two pairs of true legs and grow to about 1-½ inches long.
Chad Ayers
Jeff Whisenhunt
Insect Biology & Diversity Fall 2002
