All about Beetles

Muellers Stag Beetle

Muellers Stag Beetle is rarely seen in the rainforest even though it has a highly polished, metallic exoskeleton. The larvae of this beetle are a large white, rather unattractive grub which lives in rotting logs. It feeds on the disintegrating wood pulp for many years before emerging to take on its spectacular adult, winged form. Both males and females have 'staghorns' but the males are much larger.The overall length of Mueller's Stag beetle is 5 cm (2 inches) or more.

The Rhinoceros Beetle

Commonly seen in Tropical North Queensland is another large beetle whose males have a single protruding horn in front of the head. Far from the stunning metallic sheen of Mueller's Stag beetle, the Rhinoceros beetle is a solid, shiny black. It is also about 5 to 7 cm long, very thickset and is often found on suburban streets during the day crawling along on the side of the road or flying around well lit areas at night. When disturbed, they emit a loud hiss. The Rhinoceros beetle is in the scarab family which is known for its C-shaped, plump white grubs which live in the soil. (Some scarab beetle larvae feed on dung but others will eat roots. A few grubs in the garden will not do any damage but large numbers can affect the lawn and other plants.) The Rhinoceros Beetle's larvae are just as imposing as the adult beetle measuring in at 6 cm (2.5 inches) long by about 2 cm in diameter.

The Jewel Beetle

The Jewel beetle group is very large with over 1,200 species throughout Australia.Some spectacular patterns and colors appear on the wing covers of these beetles including metallic sheens. The larvae are usually wood borers and the adults are usually nectar feeders but there are exceptions, of course.

They are beautiful SAVE them

The endangered mission blue butterfly inhabits Milagra Ridge in Pacifica, Sweeney Ridge in San Bruno, Twin Peaks, and portions of the Marin Headlands. One of the first invertebrates to be protected under the Endangered Species Act, this small butterfly is an important component of area grasslands. Its host plant is silver-leaf lupine, and it is only in its mature flight stage for three weeks. Several butterfly habitat restoration projects are currently underway in the park involving non-native plant removal and native plant restoration. Threats to this species include development, trampling by excessive foot traffic, illegal off-road vehicles, and non-native plant invasion.

The endangered San Bruno elfin butterfly occurs at Milagra Ridge and Montara Mountain near Pacifica, San Bruno Mountain in San Francisco, and near Alpine Lake and Dillons Beach in Marin County. Its host plant is stonecrop. Young larvae are tended by several species of ants that protect them from predators. These ants also groom the larvae and feed on a honeydew substance produced by the larvae. Threats to this species include non-native plant invasion, trampling by people, lack of proper fire management, and development.

The Bay checkerspot butterfly inhabits Edgewood Park in the San Francisco Watershed. It has a wing span of little more than 2 inches. The forewings have black bands along all the veins on the upper surface, contrasting sharply with bright red, yellow and white spots. Their habitat is on serpentine soild where their host plant, dwarf plantain, grows. Males typically emerge four to eight days before females. Males can mate many times, while most females mate only once. Threats to this species include development and non-native plant invasion.

Pollinators play a crucial role in flowering plant

Pollinators, such as bees, birds, bats and insects, play a crucial role in flowering plant reproduction and in the production of most fruits and vegetables.

Examples of crops that are pollinated include apples, squash, and almonds. Without the assistance of pollinators, most plants cannot produce fruits and seeds. The fruits and seeds of flowering plants are an important food source for people and wildlife. Some of the seeds that are not eaten will eventually produce new plants, helping to maintain the plant population. Over 75% of all flowering plants are pollinated by animals.

Studies say that Honey bees pollinate approximately $15 Billion worth of crops in the U.S. each year. The value of pollination services provided by native bees and other wildlife is even greater. It is estimated that honeybees only pollinate 15% of the most common food crops worldwide.

A recent study of the status of pollinators in North America by the National Academy of Sciences found that populations of honey bees (which are not native to North America) and some wild pollinators are declining. Declines in wild pollinators may be a result of habitat loss and degradation, while declines in managed bees are linked to disease (introduced parasites and pathogens).

West Nile Virus

West Nile virus (WNV) is a newly emergent virus of the family Flaviviridae, found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is also the cause of a number of conditions in humans, horses, and some other mammals. It is transmitted by bites of infected mosquitoes. This disease has recently become a concern for researchers because of its increased virulence and emergence in new geological locations, such as North America.

In the Old World, disease due to WN has been reported only in one Rock Dove (pigeon) found in Egypt. Fatal disease was produced experimentally in Hooded Crows. Many species of birds and mammals have antibodies against the virus, which indicates that infection is quite common. Disease appears to be very rare. However, in North America, the virus has proven to cause fatal disease in many species of native birds and a few species of mammals. Hundreds of thousands of American Crows have died of WN infection and other members of the crow family also appear highly susceptible to severe disease when they become infected. On the other hand, many species clearly survive infection with little or no evidence of disease and, in many species, some individuals become ill and may die when infected while many other infected individuals suffer no illness at all. A regularly up-dated list of animal species for which at least one individual is known to have died with West Nile virus infection is provided by the U.S. National Wildlife Health Laboratory.