Declassifying Myrmecophily in the Coleoptera to Promote the Study of Ant-Beetle Symbioses

Table 1

Historical behavioral classification of myrmecophily by author. Categories marked with “—” indicate that the author did not consider the respective behavior in their classification scheme. Original terminology is used but translated if necessary.

Behavior	Wasmann [4, 20]	Silvestri [21]	Donisthorpe [22]	Paulian [29]	Delamare-Deboutteville [28]	Akre and Rettenmeyer [24]	Kistner [23]	Franc [30]
Scavengers or predators, ignored or tolerated by hosts	Synoeketes	Synoicoxeni; “Synoeketes”	Passive/intranidal guests; “Inside nest guests”	Les clients; “Clients”	Accidental/preferred or obligate commensals	Specialized species	Nonintegrated species	Synoecious myrmecophiles
Scavengers or predators, treated with hostility; defensive	Synechthrans	Cleptocoxeni; “Cleptoketes”	Passive/intranidal guests; “Inside nest guests”	Les clients; or les associes; “Clients” or “associates”	Accidental/preferred commensals	Defensive/generalized species	Non-integrated species	Prosynecthricans,; synecthricans, or; hypersynecthricans
Accepted into colony by being groomed, fed, or reared	Symphiles	Euxeni; “True guests”	Passive/intranidal guests; “Inside nest guests”	Les associes; “Associates”	Obligate commensals	—	Integrated species	Symphillous myrmecophiles
Live on body surface of host, feed on secretions or food particles	Ectoparasites	Parasitoxeni; “Parasites”	Passive/intranidal guests; “Inside nest guests”	Les associes; “Associates”	Obligate commensals	—	Integrated species	—
Penetrate body to feed on blood; parasite	Endoparasites	Parasitoxeni; “Parasites”	Passive/intranidal guests; “Inside nest guests”	Les associes; “Associates”	Obligate commensals	—	Integrated species	—
Exchange of honeydew or nectar for protection	Trophobionts	Euxeni; “True guests”	Active/extranidal guests; “Outside nest guests”	Les associes; “Associates”	Obligate commensals	—	Integrated species	—
Follow hosts on raids	Synecthrans	—	Active/extranidal guests	Les suivants; “Followers”	—	Generalized/specialized species	Non-integrated species	Synecthricans