Omorgus costatus

Omorgus costatus (Wiedemann, 1823) (Fig. 1C) AUSTRALIA; INDONESIA; MALAYSIA. This species is widespread through the Oriental and Australasian Regions (Scholtz, 1986b; Strümpher & Kalawate, 2023). It is often encountered in caves, where it has repeatedly been recorded feeding on, burrowing into, and breeding in bat guano (Blair, 1929; Chapman, 1983; Leefmans, 1932; McClure et al., 1967; Moulds, 2004; Scholtz, 1986b). McClure et al.(1967) reportedthat adults,larvae and pupae of the species lived inside the guano of a Malaysian cave and was rarely seen on the surface. Arrow (1927) additionally reported that Omorgus costatus was collected from bat guano in hollow trees in Malaysia. Moulds (2004) categorised this trogid species as a troglophile and possibly a guanophile; we confirm here that the species is indeed bat-guanophilic, since narrow associations with bat guano have been observed repeatedly.