Gecarcinus ruricola crabs can be found on the beach at night and at sunrise.
While the Christmas Island fly Lissocephala powelli lives on both true crabs and Anomura (for example Birgus latro, the robber crab), D. endobranchia and the closely related D. carcinophila live on gecarcinid crabs such as the black Gecarcinus ruricola and the red G. lateralis.