Pericoptus truncatus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pericoptus truncatus |
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| Male Pericoptus truncatus, dorsal view | |
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Pericoptus
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P. truncatus
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| Pericoptus truncatus (Fabricius, 1775)
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Pericoptus truncatus is a big sand scarab beetle. It lives only in New Zealand and can be found on beaches all over the country. Its Māori name is ngungutawa.
During the day, the adult beetle stays buried in the sand. It comes out at night to fly around, looking for food and other beetles. When it walks, it leaves clear trails in the sand. The female beetle lays her eggs deep in the sand. You can often find the large white grubs (baby beetles) under driftwood, even though they eat the roots of plants that grow in the dunes.
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What Does It Look Like?
This beetle is a brownish-black color and shines a little. Its legs and antennae are a reddish-brown. The top part of its body is smooth, but the underside has long, yellowish hairs.
Its head is small and flat in the front. The main body part, called the thorax, is wider than it is long. It has rounded corners. The beetle's wing covers (elytra) are wider than its thorax and look like they are cut off at the back. They might have faint lines and small dents near the sides.
Where Does It Live?
Pericoptus truncatus lives in sandy areas along the coast where there is driftwood. You can find them from Ninety Mile Beach down to Surat Bay, near Bluff.
The beetles and their young (larvae) live in the sand above the high tide line and in the sand dunes right next to the beach. They don't seem to live in dunes that are further inland. You can often find the larvae, pupae (the stage before adult), and adult beetles among the roots of marram grass or under and inside driftwood. These beetles can live up to 1.2 meters (about 4 feet) deep underground!
How It Lives (Ecology)
The larvae of Pericoptus truncatus have a special connection with tiny mites called Mumulaelaps ammochostos. These mites live on the outside of the larvae. Scientists think the mites probably don't hurt the beetle larvae. In fact, it's possible that these mites eat other tiny creatures, like other mites or worms, that might bother the larvae.
Threats to the Beetle
A type of wasp from another country, called the yellow flower wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis), has been found in Northland, North Island, New Zealand. This is a worry because this wasp is a parasite of the big sand scarab beetle larvae.
Here's how it works: The female wasp stings the scarab larva to make it stop moving (paralyze it). Then, she lays her eggs on the paralyzed larva. When the baby wasps hatch, they slowly eat the beetle larva.
Larvae Behavior
Sometimes, the larvae of Pericoptus truncatus have been seen dipping themselves into the salty, wet sand near the ocean's low tide line. They stay there for a while and then go back to the sand dunes. They usually do this at night to stay safe. It's thought that they might do this to wash off any tiny pests or parasites that are on them.
See also
In Spanish: Pericoptus truncatus para niños
