Brown Yucca Beetle - Caplothorax melanopterus
Just a relatively short post for today as these little seed-like crawlies have been thorough covered here in earlier posts. What can I say, they are a favorite of mine. The insect aggregations upon the summer's yucca blossoms continue, and the many individuals that gathered on the flowers have much to discuss...not really though. Its simply business as usual: emerge upon the yucca's stalks, have a bite or two, form mating pairs and place fresh batches of eggs such that they'll be able to feed within proximity to the plant's developing seeds. Unlike the last time these little insects were featured, there's no special occasion here, just more Beetles to enjoy. Despite all manner of tempting plants among their surroundings, these brown and black insects will spend nearly their entire lives upon the yucca stalk. The only times that one of these Beetles will ever be away from the precious yucca is if a predator catches them, they fall from the plant to the earth below, or when forming a pupal case in the soil (admittedly this isn't far from the plant itself) to metamorphose into adult form and wait for the next year's warm weather. Since this Sap-Feeding Beetle specie matures quickly, but chooses to remain dormant inside their secure pupal shells until spring (at minimum), this gives them a bit in common with many people of Ontario at the moment: with winter on our doorstep, we too eagerly await the eventual return of warmer weather. Unlike the Beetles, however, we cannot regulate our metabolisms to the minimum.
Pictures were taken on June 25, 2023 with a Google Pixel 4. On that same day, an elusive Yucca Moth was found; give them a look if you're interested. And as a reminder, please do not confuse these adorable tiny Beetles with other small yucca-loving insects such as Halticotoma valida, one of many Yucca Plant Bugs.
