Beetle Mania: The Antennaed Wonders & Watermelon Wannabes

🌧️ Beetle Mania in Monsoon Beauty 24 - Highlights 🌧️

"Meet the stars of Beetlewood! 🌟 First up, Acalolepta sulphurifera, the beetle with antennas so long they could double as Wi-Fi extenders. 📡 And then there’s Calvia albida, aka the Tiny Watermelon Beetle — cute enough to eat, but don’t! 🍉 Both beetles are rare gems, so keep your eyes peeled and your garden friendly! 🪲

The Antenna Master: When a Beetle Takes 'Reach Out and Touch Someone' Literally" Acalolepta sulphurifera

Family: Cerambycidae (Longhorn Beetles)
Sub-family: Lamiinae (Flat-faced Longhorn Beetles )
Tribe : Lamiini
Genus & Species: Acalolepta sulphurifera

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Observed in Takdah, this beetle has antennas wide enough to engulf the entirety of the Bay of Bengal.

"Cerambycidae" are also known as longhorn beetles. Betraying their names, some longhorn beetles have short antennae. They feed on plant tissues such as stems, trunks or roots. The larvae can cause extensive damage to the wood as they bore into it, making the wood hollow. These creative critters recognize potential hosts using chemical attractants, ethanol (emitted by damaged plants) and beetle pheromones. Since a few weevils also like to feed on weakened trees, they also use their location as a way of finding more food.

Meanwhile Bon Pradhan, the observer says this : Last month, while photographing moths for Moth week, I noticed this unique beetle with remarkably large antennae. I was captivated by the challenge of capturing its intricate details, especially those impressive antennae, which seemed almost too large to fit within a single frame nicely.

Interestingly there are only 3 records of this beetle on iNaturalist for India (4 world wide)

Observed by @bonpradhan (Bon Pradhan)
Location : Takdah, West Bengal, India
Observed on: 23 Jul, 2024
Identifiers : @mikhail_vc
Bon Pradhan's social media links :
https://www.instagram.com/himalibugs/
https://www.instagram.com/bon.pradhan/

Question: Why do Cerambycidae longhorn beetles have long antennae?

Cerambycidae longhorn beetles have long antennae for sensing their environment, detecting pheromones, aiding in navigation, and offering protection by helping detect predators and obstacles. These antennae also play a role in mate selection and species recognition. Additionally, the impressive length of the antennae might deter predators by making the beetle appear larger or more difficult to handle.

Tiny Watermelon Beetle: The Snack That Bites Back (But Please Don’t Bite It) Calvia albida

Family: Coccinellidae (Lady Beetles)
Sub-family: Coccinellinae (Common Lady Beetles )
Tribe : Coccinellini (Black-spotted Lady Beetles)
Genus & Species: Calvia albida

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This tiny watermelon decided to grow a few legs and a pair of eyes to become a beetle. Would it taste summery and sweet if you bit into it? (please do not do that, we do not take any liability for the same). Most of these cuties prey on aphids and scale insects, so you definitely want them around your garden. One study of species in Britain found that coccinellids can fly as far as 120 km. Good luck catching them.

Coccinellidae (the ladybug family) is family of small beetles. The word itself is derived from the Latin word for "scarlet" since they were known as "our lady's birds". Mary was often depicted wearing a red cloak in art and the ladybug represented her seven joys and even sorrows.

Cool beetle fact: The pigment carotene creates lighter colours (to camouflage) and melanin creates darker colours (to warn).

Bon Pradhan's thoughts on the newly christened Tiny Watermelon beetle: This particular beetle specie has since become a regular visitor to my light trap. Every time it appears, I make it a point to share my photos. It’s a specie that seems to be more commonly found in our area, and I’ve noticed that many people are particularly fond of it. This beetle has quickly become one of my favorite subjects to photograph.

India's Nature Team Notes: Bon Pradhan said it and we concur : a whole bunch of us sure love this beetle . Doesn't matter how many times we see it always gets our deserved attention

On Inaturalist India, it seems, this beetle has been recorded 43 times and only in the Himalayas in West Bengal, Sikkim and Uttarakhand. and additionally 11 more observations from China and Vietnam. (Worldwide total 54)

Cool beetle fact: Making up roughly a quarter of all living species on the planet, one out of every four animals on earth is a beetle!