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Red-necked false blister beetle - Asclera excavata - photographed today in Clearwater, BC. A red-necked beetle?  I wonder why it wasn't in Alberta. This is a false blister beetle.  It doesn't belong to the true blister beetle family, such as the black oil blister beetle does, which I photographed a number of weeks ago.  However, it still has the potential to create blisters with the chemical cantharidin that it can release if disturbed.  The chemical gets released from its joints; it is actually contained in its blood.  The chemical doesn't affect the beetle, but is poisonous or fatal if ingested by many other creatures.   It turns out that cantharidin also affects many other insect species, so much in fact that it can be used as a pesticide.  The problem, of course, is that the chemical also affects humans adversely, and so its use is not widespread. I used to confuse false blister beetles with soldier beetles, you can see one on a blog I wrote ...

The silvery blue butterfly hibernates in its pupal stage. When temperatures rise in the  spring, the pupa matures and the butterfly emerges ready to carry on its business. What is  particularly weird is that the pupae are cared for by ants. The ants look after the pupae because it  releases an odour that the ants themselves produce. The larvae feed on lupines, those biannual pretty blue flowers that pop up in the spring. As the  plant ages, it becomes more toxic. This is why the species pupates in the spring; it allows the adults  to mate early and lay eggs on lupines that are just starting to develop. Silvery blues have a wide range; they span across the entirety of Canada, including all the territories.  They can also be found down into Mexico. Thanks for reading. Eric Svendsen      www.ericspix.com

 

A species of clown beetle -  Gnathoncus rotundatus The beetle I wrote about in my last post was a carrion scavenger.  The clown beetle, also associated with carrion (I found it in the same dead bird as the one mentioned), feeds on the invertebrates that feed on the carrion.  Both the larvae and the adults are predators.   When an animal dies, its carcass becomes a site that attracts many species of insects.  These include flies and beetles, which are broadly grouped together as necrophages (another term for scavengers).  These organisms are important in facilitating the breakdown of dead animal tissues.  They often lay their eggs in the same place.  The larvae hatch, feed on the decomposing organic matter, and pupate into adulthood. Clown beetles feed on the larvae and adults of these necrophage insects.  Clown beetle larvae, known as grubs, attack and consume these scavangers.  They are confined to the rotting corpse as it is both...

Northern carrion beetle Yesterday I found a dead bird.  Normally, that would give me pause for the loss of one of my feathered friends, but in this case it meant that I might be able to find some carrion beetles.  And I found at least three, possibly four different species I have never seen before. The largest was the northern carrion beetle.  There were a couple of them I found crawling around the remains of whatever flesh was left, even a pair engaged in reproducing.  They could be seen crawling through various cavities; I moved the bird and managed to photograph one by itself.  The black, dimpled elytra (wing covers) are characteristic, as is the fact that they do not cover the entire abdomen. Another common feature is the clubbed antennae, which you can see in the specimen.  Northern carrier beetles live in temperate climates and often manage to go through two generations per year.  The adults from the fall generation overwinter and begin the next ...

California broad-necked darkling beetle (according to Google) I found this beetle 100 feet from our campsite in Clearwater, BC.  It is a darkling beetle.  They are similar to ground beetles but are usually have a matte sheen versus a shiny one.  I wrote about the differences between darkling beetles and ground beetles in a blog you can find here . When I disturbed it, the beetle lowered its head and raised its abdomen up in the air.  There was a dark, shiny liquid that was emitted from glands located in its back end.  I have seen this behaviour before in other darkling beetles.  My brother and I found a much bigger one in Texas that did the same thing. The dark brown liquid is made of benzoquinone, which is a noxious chemical that smells bad and tastes worse.  It is used defensively to prevent an attack from some potential predator.  The beetle isn't fast, does not have strong jaws, and is easily seen if in the open.  It uses the chemical as ...