Forked Fungus Beetle (Bolitotherus cornutus)
On Ganoderma curtisii (Golden Reishi) by an old rotted Willow Oak in a backyard habitat.
Bolitotherus cornutus is darkling beetle which feeds on species of Ganoderma (Reishi) fungi. This species exhibits sexual dimorphism; males have a pair of prominent forward-facing horns.
B. cornutus has an interesting mating ritual which is performed upon the host fungus. The male grips the elytra of the female, placing his thorax over the end of her abdomen. This puts him in an opposing position to the female (seen in the photos). This courting behavior lasts for several hours and is followed by the reversal of positions and the alignment of abdomens for successful copulation.
''Bolitotherus cornutus'' is a North American species of darkling beetle known as the forked fungus beetle. As a holometabolic insect, its life cycle includes four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. All life stages are associated with the fruiting bodies of a wood-decaying shelf fungus, commonly ''Ganoderma applanatum'', ''Ganoderma tsugae'', and ''Ganoderma lucidum''.
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