The mandibular forces and pressures of some predacious Coleoptera

Abstract The forces and pressures exerted at the tips of the mandibles have been examined in 12 species of Carabidae and one species of Staphylinidae. A × 3 range of mandibular tip forces and a × 2 range of pressures were present in the group of species studied. There was no correlation between the mandibular force or pressure and the size of the beetle except for the mandibular forces in the 5 species of Pterostichini. It is suggested that mandibular forces would vary with size in geometrically similar species, but that these predacious species require similar pressures to penetrate the cuticles of their prey.

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