Thursday, April 30, 2015

Beetles!

Beetles I've found lately

(The first picture is lifted from a previous post, if it looks familiar)


A shiny green tiger beetle hunts in the garden. Cicindela spp. are metallic predatory beetles that prefer sandy or clay soils.

I was clearing away an old pile of firewood. The logs were half buried in the soil and were riddled with beetles and other invertebrates.


These two are "patent-leather beetles" Odontotaenius disjunctus. They and their larvae eat rotting wood and do a good job of breaking down logs into soil. I found at least six of them. They also vibrate their wings along their abdomen when disturbed, making a little squeak.





A beetle larva - smooth and shiny.


Another beetle larva - soft and squishy.

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