Showing posts with label beetle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beetle. Show all posts

Frog Rides Beetle, Matching Pair

Reptile goes for a ride on Coleoptera. They both have horns and are going to the same destination. ~ - - = = z z ! frog g rides g beetle g matching g pair g reviews g review g nature ! @ frog f rides f beetle f matching f pair f reviews f review f nature f undo f gaming f links @ # frog e rides e beetle e matching e pair e reviews e review e nature e undo e gaming e links e fake e frogs e photos e sponsored e log e email # $ frog d rides d beetle d matching d pair d reviews d review d nature d undo d gaming d links d fake d frogs d photos d sponsored d log d email d phone d car d watch d camera d riding d sign d photography $ % frog c rides c beetle c matching c pair c reviews c review c nature c undo c gaming c links c fake c frogs c photos c sponsored c log c email c phone c car c watch c camera c riding c sign c photography c entertainment c natural c taboola c promoted c photo c lives % ^ frog b rides b beetle b matching b pair b reviews b review b nature b undo b gaming b links b fake b frogs b photos b sponsored b log b email b phone b car b watch b camera b riding b sign b photography b entertainment b natural b taboola b promoted b photo b lives b smartwatch b smart b picture b real b open b subjects b naturally ^ * reviews a review a nature a undo a gaming a links a fake a frogs a photos a sponsored a log a email a phone a car a watch a camera a riding a sign a photography a entertainment a natural a taboola a promoted a photo a lives a smartwatch a smart a picture a real a open a subjects a naturally a enter a virtual a reality a cameras a hop a case a jump a remain a mouth a frog's a fingers a positions a photographer a spoke a can't a situation a evidence a distressed a entry a wildlife a photographers a talented a unnatural a next a similar a ethics a involved a perfect a shots a authenticity a discovered a reliable a awesome a live a nazgeek a read a distress a cruelty a dead a environment a animals a join a joins a long a group a top a details * + review nature undo gaming links fake frogs photos sponsored log email phone car watch camera riding sign photography entertainment natural taboola promoted photo lives smartwatch smart picture real open subjects naturally enter virtual reality cameras hop case jump remain mouth frog's fingers positions photographer spoke can't situation evidence distressed entry wildlife photographers talented unnatural next similar ethics involved perfect shots authenticity discovered reliable awesome live nazgeek read distress cruelty dead environment animals join joins long group top details + || , ||
Frog ride beetle
"We are so alike!"
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The Dung Beetle Is the Strongest of Them All

Who's the strongest pound for pound? That bug upon the ground!

Scientists have worked out which creature is the strongest. It is a dung beetle, Onthophagus taurus. This tiny bug can pull 1,141 times its own body weight. For a human to equal this he/she would have to lift 80 tonnes, equivalent to six trucks.

The dung beetle has to be extremely fit and healthy to accomplish this feat. Putting them on poor diets before a test reduced the amount they could pull. Apparently, they have to be strong because of their lifestyle. A male digs a deep hole under a dung pat where he mates with a female. If another male enters the tunnel the two males will fight a furious battle by locking horns until one is pushed out. The more weight a male can pull the more likely he is to win the fight and be able to mate, thus passing on his genes for high strength.

Some male beetle don't seem to compete with the large aggressive males. They are born smaller and weaker. When they were fed more they still did not take up the fight, but their testicles became larger. This enables them to mate more often taking advantage of larger males who let their guard down.
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Entomology
TwitThis
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Australian Truffle Industry at Risk

It may be hard to believe, but Tasmania has a thriving truffle industry.  Perigord, the company that began truffle growing in Australia, has a trained team of dogs to search out the valuable product.

Something is damaging the crop.  A beetle related to the European truffle beetle has appeared.  Truffle beetles have not been studied to a great extent.  Until now the fungus has been pest free.  In Europe they are also destroyed by flies, gnats, and larvae.  Because the European truffle has only been here for about thirty years, growing them was easy.  The pests have found them and are attacking.  It seems the local beetle likes them too.  Moreover, the European snail has inadvertently been imported.

There is a problem in doing research to identify the culprits.  Truffles must be dug up to be examined before they ripen.  Once brought into the light at this early stage they are no good for the market. Using pesticides as is done in Europe would be very expensive.  Few Australian producers are willing to come forward to assist the study, fearing financial loss.
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Agriculture
TwitThis
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Male Jewel Beetles Mate With Stubby Beer Bottles

Australian jewel beetles are sexually attracted to stubby beer bottles. These are small bottles, brown in color, that fit comfortably in the hand. Darryl Gwynne wrote about the phenomenon in a post-doctoral paper. He had noticed the behavior 23 years ago. Ultimately, the opportunity arrived to inform the world. He was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize.

Male beetles were observed mounting discarded stubbies. The bottles are the same tone of brown as female jewel beetles. Moreover, they glint in the sun like the wings of females.

Mounting the bottles is dangerous. It usually ends in death for male beetles. They are either eaten by ants or are cooked in the hot sun. It is feared that the behavior will lead to a decline in beetle numbers. However, the beetles are still present in high numbers two and half decades after the behavior was first observed.
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Science
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New Weapon to Fight Cane Toads

At last - a solution to Australia's can toad problem. Decades ago the pest was introduced from Hawaii to combat bugs that were attacking sugar cane, but instead of eating the target beetles the cane toads went about settling down here and have been destroying the native habitat ever since. Cane toads have recently reached Perth in Western Australia. Now they are established in every Australian state.

Everything has been tried to kill them from hitting them with sticks, gassing them with carbon dioxide, to freezing them. None of this has had any effect on their numbers. A way has now been found, however, of killing off the pests. Placing a few teaspoons of cat food next to ponds in the Northern Territory attracts meat eating ants. When the baby can toads appear from the pond they are eaten by the ants.

Most native creatures are affected by the poisonous toxin put out by can toads. Fortunately, the ants are fully resistant. All the toad eggs hatch at the same time, so if you activate the ants you win the battle. The ants kill 98 percent of baby toads in the first two minutes. Eighty percent of survivors die of inuries during the next day.

Already do-gooders are complaining, saying ants killing toads is inumane. One species killing another is as natural as it can get. What else can be done? Are we expected to give them a packed lunch and send them on they way?
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