Posts tagged coleoptera

biomedicalephemera: The Naming of Beasts: Adam, in the Garden of Eden An angel holds a scroll with the title of the book and points toward Heaven, as Adam points toward a Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules). An Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) rests on the side of the rock Adam sits upon, and a Pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor) and white dragonfly (subfamily Anisoptera) are depicted aside the scene. Entomologie, ou, Histoire Naturelle des Insects: Coleoptera. Antoine Guilame Olivier, 1808. [Fourth edition, original publication date 1798.]

biomedicalephemera:

The Naming of Beasts: Adam, in the Garden of Eden

An angel holds a scroll with the title of the book and points toward Heaven, as Adam points toward a Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules).

An Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) rests on the side of the rock Adam sits upon, and a Pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor) and white dragonfly (subfamily Anisoptera) are depicted aside the scene.

Entomologie, ou, Histoire Naturelle des Insects: Coleoptera. Antoine Guilame Olivier, 1808. [Fourth edition, original publication date 1798.]

The Naming of Beasts: Adam, in the Garden of Eden An angel holds a scroll with the title of the book and points toward Heaven, as Adam points toward a Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules). An Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) rests on the side of the rock Adam sits upon, and a Pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor) and white dragonfly (subfamily Anisoptera) are depicted aside the scene. Entomologie, ou, Histoire Naturelle des Insects: Coleoptera. Antoine Guilame Olivier, 1808. [Fourth edition, original publication date 1798.]

The Naming of Beasts: Adam, in the Garden of Eden

An angel holds a scroll with the title of the book and points toward Heaven, as Adam points toward a Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules).

An Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) rests on the side of the rock Adam sits upon, and a Pipevine swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor) and white dragonfly (subfamily Anisoptera) are depicted aside the scene.

Entomologie, ou, Histoire Naturelle des Insects: Coleoptera. Antoine Guilame Olivier, 1808. [Fourth edition, original publication date 1798.]

Hyperparasitism: Parasites that are parasitic to parasites!

The wonderful world of entomology - parasites within parasitoids all over the place! Though parasites are found throughout the natural world, insects have some of the most interesting examples found between (and sometimes within) the families of the order, including many hyperparasites.

At top, you can see the parasitoid (a parasite that generally consumes or intentionally leads to the death of the host - long-term survival within the host is not the goal) burrowing-wasp parasitizing the rhinoceros beetle larva. Once the female burrowing-wasp “smells” out the location of the larva, she burrows down to it and lays an egg on the body. After her egg hatches, it feeds on the larva. When the beetle larva is consumed, the burrowing-wasp pupates, and forms a chrysalis underground. After metamorphosis, it digs its way up and out, and feeds on pollen or nectar while searching for a mate.

But the insect world does not always let one get away with that sort of parasitoid behavior for free! Many members of the Hymenoptera, including the burrowing-wasps, are in turn parasitized by Strepsiptera, formerly known as the “twisted-winged parasites”. This parasitism of parasites (or parasitoids) is known as hyperparasitism, and is mostly found in entomophagous (insect-eating) insects.

As larva, Strepsiptera are free-roaming insects, looking for a host. Once the appropriate host is found, the larvae will enter the insect (using various mechanisms) and take up residence in its abdomen, as can be seen in the image on the bottom-right. Both sexes go through the last instars (moults) of their larval stage within the host. After this stage, there is a vast difference between the females and the males - the males pupate, go through a complete metamorphosis, and emerge from the host as adults (of course, killing the host in the process). The females become neotenous adults (adults capable of reproduction, but with juvenile forms - axolotls are another example), and stay within the host for their entire life. The male mates with them while they’re within the host, and their eggs hatch inside their bodies.

Fun fact: When the Strepsiptera larvae emerge from the host, the brood canal they come out of is generally at the top of the abdomen, just below the head, so the host ends up having babies coming out of its “neck”. This doesn’t kill them, and some hosts end up sustaining three or more broods of its parasite. Cool stuff!

Top: Burrowing-wasp parasitizing rhinoceros beetle. Marvels of Insect Life. Edward Step, 1916.
Bottom Right: Adult male Strepsipteran (Stylos dalii), free of host. British Entomology. John Curtis, 1823-1840.
Bottom Left: Adult female Strepsipteran and adult female Strepsipteran within host. Applied Entomology. H.T. Fernald, 1921. 

Dermestidae of Germany, including larvae and morphological details Dermestids (specifically Dermestes lardarius) are a favorite beetle of museums and those who prepare bone specimens on a moderate-to-large scale. When maintained as a large enough colony, they’re an invaluable resource in cleaning the last of the flesh and fat from animal bones, and produce a much better final specimen than boiling or bleaching bones does (as boiling causes fat to be absorbed into the bones and bleaching is both dangerous and ineffective). They’re also used in forensic entomology, as they’re scavengers, and they only appear when (and if) the flesh of a cadaver begins to dry out. They refuse to eat rotting flesh, and they refuse to live in a wet environment, so the weather and climate plays a significant role in determining the amount of time that would have passed before the beetles would have arrived. Fauna Germanica: Die Käfer des deutschen Reiches, Vol III. Edmund Reitter, 1911.

Dermestidae of Germany, including larvae and morphological details

Dermestids (specifically Dermestes lardarius) are a favorite beetle of museums and those who prepare bone specimens on a moderate-to-large scale. When maintained as a large enough colony, they’re an invaluable resource in cleaning the last of the flesh and fat from animal bones, and produce a much better final specimen than boiling or bleaching bones does (as boiling causes fat to be absorbed into the bones and bleaching is both dangerous and ineffective).

They’re also used in forensic entomology, as they’re scavengers, and they only appear when (and if) the flesh of a cadaver begins to dry out. They refuse to eat rotting flesh, and they refuse to live in a wet environment, so the weather and climate plays a significant role in determining the amount of time that would have passed before the beetles would have arrived.

Fauna Germanica: Die Käfer des deutschen Reiches, Vol III. Edmund Reitter, 1911.

Hitler Beetle - Anophthalmus hitleri Scheibel, 1937 This blind cave beetle, exclusive to a system of five Slovenian caverns near the town of Celje, was named after Adolf Hitler by a Slovenian entomologist who admired him. Though many people would find it somewhat questionable that an eyeless cave beetle had taken their namesake, Hitler was delighted for the honor of having an entire species named after him, and took the time to actually hand-write Oscar Scheibel a thank-you note expressing his gratitude.  Seven decades later, the beetle is paying the price for its fascist namesake. Highly sought after (to the tune of over a thousand pounds, for one half-centimeter-long, bland-colored bug), the insect is one of the must-haves for a complete “Hitler memorabilia” collection. Though strict laws are in place to protect the beetle, Slovenia (and the earlier Yugoslavia) isn’t particularly known for its enforcement of insect poaching laws, and the few caverns in the Balkans where it lives are still frequented by tourists, some being innocent visitors to the region, some being not-so-innocent collectors of critically endangered beetles. Though the Slovenian entomology community insists that completely closing and blocking off the caverns is the only way to possibly save this beetle, the fact remains that to do so would likely dry up the majority of the meager tourism dollars. With no live populations with breeding success outside the cavern system, it looks like this unassuming little beetle (who would have doubtless rarely been noticed if not for the name) is on its way out. Image from NHM Department of Entomology Photostream Information from journalist Rose George 

Hitler Beetle - Anophthalmus hitleri Scheibel, 1937

This blind cave beetle, exclusive to a system of five Slovenian caverns near the town of Celje, was named after Adolf Hitler by a Slovenian entomologist who admired him. Though many people would find it somewhat questionable that an eyeless cave beetle had taken their namesake, Hitler was delighted for the honor of having an entire species named after him, and took the time to actually hand-write Oscar Scheibel a thank-you note expressing his gratitude. 

Seven decades later, the beetle is paying the price for its fascist namesake. Highly sought after (to the tune of over a thousand pounds, for one half-centimeter-long, bland-colored bug), the insect is one of the must-haves for a complete “Hitler memorabilia” collection. Though strict laws are in place to protect the beetle, Slovenia (and the earlier Yugoslavia) isn’t particularly known for its enforcement of insect poaching laws, and the few caverns in the Balkans where it lives are still frequented by tourists, some being innocent visitors to the region, some being not-so-innocent collectors of critically endangered beetles.

Though the Slovenian entomology community insists that completely closing and blocking off the caverns is the only way to possibly save this beetle, the fact remains that to do so would likely dry up the majority of the meager tourism dollars. With no live populations with breeding success outside the cavern system, it looks like this unassuming little beetle (who would have doubtless rarely been noticed if not for the name) is on its way out.

Image from NHM Department of Entomology Photostream

Information from journalist Rose George 

Cuvier Day Goliath beetle and other coleoptera Georges Cuvier kept an herbarium and a number of live insects in his room at the Academy Caroline. He would spend hours drawing them (along with other zoological specimens) and watching their habits. He remarked, “If I had not studied insects from choice, when I was at college, I should have done so later, from a conviction of its necessity.” He declared that the wonders he met with in the organization of insects always elevated his thoughts.

Cuvier Day

Goliath beetle and other coleoptera

Georges Cuvier kept an herbarium and a number of live insects in his room at the Academy Caroline. He would spend hours drawing them (along with other zoological specimens) and watching their habits. He remarked, “If I had not studied insects from choice, when I was at college, I should have done so later, from a conviction of its necessity.” He declared that the wonders he met with in the organization of insects always elevated his thoughts.

Cuvier Day Coleoptera anatomy. Cuvier studied at the Caroline Academy in Stuttgart, and like in all of his other schooling, he excelled at classes. He also learned German (which he had never learned a word of before attending) quickly enough that he won a school German competition just nine months after he began his classes at the school.

Cuvier Day

Coleoptera anatomy.

Cuvier studied at the Caroline Academy in Stuttgart, and like in all of his other schooling, he excelled at classes. He also learned German (which he had never learned a word of before attending) quickly enough that he won a school German competition just nine months after he began his classes at the school.

Cuvier Day Coleoptera.  Cuvier loved natural history from an early age. By twelve years of age, he’d largely committed Buffon’s massive Natural History compilation to memory.

Cuvier Day

Coleoptera. 

Cuvier loved natural history from an early age. By twelve years of age, he’d largely committed Buffon’s massive Natural History compilation to memory.