Delta green ground beetle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Delta green ground beetle |
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Elaphrus
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E. viridis
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| Elaphrus viridis Horn, 1878
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The Delta green ground beetle (Elaphrus viridis) is a special kind of ground beetle. You can only find it in a small area of Solano County, California. It's super cool because it's a shiny metallic-green! Some beetles have bronze spots on their wing covers (called elytra), but others don't. A good way to tell it apart from other beetles is by looking at its wing covers. They have fewer or smaller round pits than other ground beetles. These beetles are quite small, usually about a quarter-inch (0.6 cm) long.
This beetle is helpful in its environment. It plays a useful role by helping to pollinate plants, fruits, and vegetables. The beetle's common name, "Delta green," probably comes from a triangle-shaped mark on its back, near its head. This part is called the pronotum. Also, the species name, viridis, is a Latin word that means "green."
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Where Does the Delta Green Ground Beetle Live?
The Delta green ground beetle is only known to live in Solano County, California. However, it might have lived in more places, like the whole Central Valley, a long time ago. Today, you can find it in a protected area called Jepson Prairie Preserve, which is south of Dixon. Some other places where it lives are on public land.
Its Home: Vernal Pools
This beetle loves to live around vernal pools. These are special ponds that fill up with water during the winter rains. The beetle's entire life cycle depends on these pools!
- The beetles come out in January when the pools fill up.
- They become inactive in May, around the time the pools dry out.
- They stay hidden and dormant to survive the hot summer months.
You can often spot these beetles in open areas. They like the edges of vernal pools. You might also see them on nearby trails, roads, and ditches. It's possible they live in the surrounding grasslands too. But they are hard to find because they are small. Their green color helps them camouflage (blend in) with the spring grass. They also like to hide under low plants.
How Do Delta Green Ground Beetles Reproduce?
Delta green ground beetles breed between January and September. Female beetles usually produce one new generation of beetles each year.
What Do Delta Green Ground Beetles Eat?
The Delta green ground beetle is a hunter! Both the young beetles (larvae) and the adult beetles actively hunt. They like to eat soft-bodied arthropods. Scientists think that these beetles mostly eat tiny creatures called springtails. This is based on what other types of Elaphrus beetles usually eat.
Why Is This Beetle Endangered?
The Delta green ground beetle is in big trouble. It is listed as "Critically Endangered" on the IUCN Red List. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever. It's also been listed as "threatened" by the government since 1980.
Threats to Their Habitat
The main reason this beetle is endangered is because its home, the vernal pools, are disappearing.
- Many vernal pools in California have been destroyed.
- This is mostly due to farms and agricultural development.
- City growth (urbanization) and animal grazing have also played a part.
Another big problem for the beetle is a plant called Garden lippia. This plant is not native to the area. It grows in thick mats in the vernal pools. These dense mats make it hard for the Delta green ground beetle to find food.
See also
In Spanish: Elaphrus viridis para niños
