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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 ...

Ornate checkered beetle, Dutch Lake, Clearwater. It's funny how pretty can be dangerous.  In nature, bright colours are used as a warning sign.  "Mess with me and you may die."  Then there are the fakers, those mimics that sport colours as a warning sign but are empty of peril.   The ornate checkered beetle is not poisonous, and I doubt it is using any kind of mimicry.  As an adult, the beetle spends a lot of time on flowers.  It eats the pollen and nectar.  It may eat smaller insects it comes across.  It also lays its eggs there.  I am inclined to believe that it blends in with the bright colours of the flowers it lives on.  They are fabulous pollinators.  Their hairy bodies pick up and distribute pollen.  They do dive deeply into flowers in search of nectar.   The insidious thing about ornate checkered beetles is that they kill solitary bees like leaf-cutter bees or potter wasps.  They do this by laying eg...

Western tanager eating an insect, Kentucky / Alleyne Provincial Park near Merritt, BC. I remember seeing my first western tanager many years ago; it was at a distance, but the moment remains burned in my mind.  It was a long time before my second sighting, and then, while camping near Merritt, I saw one on three separate occasions.   The above photo was the first of the three encounters.  I must have gotten forty photos.  The cool thing was that it saw an insect about ten feet away from me; it flew down from the tree, picked it up, and returned.  That was an amazing moment!   The second encounter happened while I was paddling my kayak.  I was near the shore of Kentucky Lake when a tanager flew down, landed in the water, and started bathing.  I brought a camera and long lens with me for just such an opportunity (I keep it in a case or a waterproof bag) and took more photos.  One is below. Western tanager bathing in the cold waters of...