Another question on #beetles (behaviour+ecology) looking for an expert. We get bumblebee scarabs here in north Greece, the delightfully fuzzy Pygopleurus vulpes. During the day they come to our lawn flowers: I’m wondering what they’re likely to be doing during the night. Night flying seems unlikely, especially given the temperature, but do they return to fixed nest sites? Burrow? Just crash wherever they find themselves? Solitary or gathered in groups? #insectodon #insects
I’m having a *terrible* time trying to get photographs of these little suckers: they’re skittish in the sunlight, they fly fast, and I keep missing the focus with all that fuzz. It occurred to me to wonder if I could find any sleeping, which hopefully would be more accommodating subjects. #beetles
@tikitu I'm not a beetle expert but I know about animal flight. Lots of beetles are nocturnal fliers. Low temperature is not a big problem. Flight muscle is mechanically inefficient, generating a lot of 'wasted' heat, which elevates muscle temperature and increases power generation. The fuzziness probably help keep this heat in, as it does in bumblebees, hawk moths and other large flying insects. The biggest often need to warm up before they can fly.
More to follow.... 1/2
@tikitu So, even if you find them at night, they may still be skittish. Solution: cool them down. Put them in a thin-walled plastic tub and put them in the fridge or on ice in a cool box. When cold, you have a few minutes to photograph them as they warm up. You can cool them faster in the freezer but be careful not to freeze them! 2/2
@tikitu@mastodon.social @tikitu@flipping.rocks
maybe @StrepsipZerg has some insights on these animals?
@nellie_m @tikitu@mastodon.social @tikitu@flipping.rocks can't see the original post from my account as I blocked the instance, but I checked it so here's my answer:
Not familiar with this specific species but I will answer based on my general Scarab knowledge
Usually they would just sleep in trees or shrubs, that would be my guess. Night flying is indeed not likely if they fly during the day. Most likely not in groups, no, unless they have a specific reason to aggregate.
@nellie_m @tikitu@mastodon.social @tikitu@flipping.rocks Also answering the previous Meloe question :
no, it sounds impossible that individuals would overwinter for a year and then emerge to pick up from a population wipe out.
If such a local extinction happens, it seems more probably that individuals from outside would then migrate. The adults themselves aren't so mobile, but the larvae are as they hitchhike on bees.
@nellie_m @tikitu@mastodon.social @tikitu@flipping.rocks Also, just because you didn't see any doesn't mean they aren't any. Just one 'bad year' would usually not wipe them out, no.
@StrepsipZerg @nellie_m @tikitu@mastodon.social Thanks! I hadn’t thought of the triungula hitchhiking in, that’s encouraging. I presume (hope!) it’s not a total local wipe-out, but the difference between “bump into them regularly without searching, in places they don’t really belong” and “can’t find any even when searching in the perfect habitat at the best possible time” was pretty stark.
@tikitu@flipping.rocks @nellie_m @tikitu@mastodon.social ye I understand, they are pretty abundant when they want. Hopefully next year you will see them again!
Feel free to tag me for other questions btw