Julodimorpha bakewelli
| Julodimorpha bakewelli | |
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| From Australia | |
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| Species: | J. bakewelli
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| Binomial name | |
| Julodimorpha bakewelli (White, 1859)
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Julodimorpha bakewelli is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae. It was first described by Adam White in 1859.
Description
Julodimorpha bakewelli can reach a length of over 40 millimetres (1.6 in). These large brown buprestids have an elongate and almost cylindrical body. The head is almost hidden when the beetle is viewed from above. The pronotum is dark brown and quite wide at the base. The elytra are brown, wider than the pronotum and densely striatopunctated.
Adults are diurnal and herbivore. They are reported to breed in roots and trunks of Eucalyptus species (Myrtaceae). Larvae are root-feeder. Both larvae and adults are present on flowers of Acacia calamifolia (Mimosaceae).
Observations on mating behaviour
The males of this species have the habit to aggregate on and attempting to copulate with discarded brown "stubbies" (a type of beer bottle). The males are attracted by the refraction of light produced by the glass bumps of the bottles, resembling giant females with a very similar colour and surface. Due to this erroneous mating behaviour, this species is threatened as the high rates of unsuccessful reproduction results in lower survival rates, and males will persist with their attempts to mate with the inanimate objects until they are rendered victim to environmental threats such as sun intensity and foraging Iridomyrmex discors.[1][2] Prof. Darryl Gwynne, from the University of Toronto, and David Rentz were awarded an Ig Nobel Prize for their studies on this Julodimorpha species behaviour.[3][4] This behaviour is often given as an example of a supernormal stimulus.
Distribution
This species can be found in the arid and semi- arid areas of Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.[3]
References
- ^ Williams, Liz T. (2011-11-30). "Nature mimics: why bugs mate with beer bottles". Australian Geographic. Archived from the original on 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ Hadley, Debbie (2020-01-13). "The Giant Jewel Beetle That Mates With Beer Bottles". ThoughtCo. Archived from the original on 2023-03-09. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
- ^ a b Gwynne, Darryl T.; Rentz, David C. F. (February 1983). "Beetles on the Bottle: Male Buprestids Mistake Stubbies for Females (Coleoptera)". Australian Journal of Entomology. 22 (1): 79–80. doi:10.1111/j.1440-6055.1983.tb01846.x. ISSN 1326-6756.
- ^ Amos, Jonathan (2011-09-29). "Beetle's beer bottle sex wins Ig Nobel Prize". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
Further reading
- Biolib
- Australian environment
- Donald D. Homan The Interface Theory of Perception: Natural Selection Drives True Perception To Swift Extinction
- Dr Trevor J. Hawkeswood Review of the biology and host-plants of the Australian jewel beetle Julodimorpha bakewelli
External links
