Doug Von Gausig has very kindly provided two pictures of tenebrionid beetles doing headstands. Both are species of Eleodes. One species has grooves along the elytra (the fused front wings of the beetle -- remember, these are flightless beetles that walk around on the ground), and the other one has smooth elytra. Each species has defensive secretions. The grooves probably help the defensive secretions spread out across the elytra, coating them with quinones and hydrocarbons that repel predators. Interestingly, some tenebrionids have receptors that are sensitive to the breath of mammals. When these receptors register the heat, moisture, and odors of mammalian breath, the glands evert, spilling out their noxious substances. Here's a challenge for some of you beetle fans: Can you identify these two species of Eleodes?
Google Ads
- Google Ads
Author
- Con Slobodchikoff
Con is a biologist and an animal behaviorist.
« Beetle Defensive Secretions | Main | Do Ants Think? »
June 19, 2007
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341d6ef453ef00e009830b688833
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Tenebrionid Headstands:
Comments
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Verify your Comment
Previewing your Comment
This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been saved. Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author. Post another comment
As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
Reconnect With Nature Sign Up
Recent Posts
- Plight Of The River Dolphins
- Tool-Use In A Clever Mollusk
- Sophisticated Tool Use In Brazilian Monkeys
- Desert Ants That Count
- The Compassionate Ant
- Lessons from a Turkey
- RECONNECTING WITH NATURE…THROUGH AESOP’S FABLES?
- Wild Hearts, Free Spirits
- Watching Harry Potter Is Like Watching Paint Dry
- As Below, So Above
Recent Comments
- Marek Kapusta | O Naturze on Sophisticated Tool Use In Brazilian Monkeys
- how to train your puppy on A New View of Dog Domestication: Human-Canid Co-evolution
- sidakala on Sophisticated Tool Use In Brazilian Monkeys
- Jacqui MacNeill (Escents Aromatherapy Essential Oils) on Watching Harry Potter Is Like Watching Paint Dry
- jimcarry on Tool-Use In A Clever Mollusk
- ajf20 on As Below, So Above
- Randall Johnson on Plight Of The River Dolphins
- Kristi Walters on Living Harmoniously
- Naturalist on Plight Of The River Dolphins
- Van Gogh on RECONNECTING WITH NATURE…THROUGH AESOP’S FABLES?
June 2010
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
I'm guessing from its shiny form that number 2 is E. gigantea. (I'm using Evan's and Hogue's new Calif beetle field guide.) Don't think Dillon and Dillon will be much help for number 1!
Posted by: Chris Wemmer | June 22, 2007 at 08:32 PM