#sun beetles

[will0thew1sp]

ONE OF MY SUN BEETLE GRUBS FINALLY PUPATED IM SO EXCITED TO SEE IT TURN INTO A BEAUTIFUL ADULT IN DECEMBER

[thelordofologies]

Sun beetle - Pachnoda marginata peregrina

Sun beetles, I had some time today to research them ! I still think they look like cappuccino beetles or cappubeetles, so adorable !

@hispaatra, @zick-the-fairy, this might interest you :)

Description and biology

After mating, the female lays an egg in moist ground, which hatches after a short time into a larva that feeds voraciously for two to five months. The larvae are very small when they hatch, but can grow as long as 60 millimetres.

Fun fact : The larvae of the Pachnoda can sometimes make a low snore-like noise when making their cocoons.

When the larva has matured, it pupates for several weeks, and then transforms into an adult beetle.

Pachnoda marginata peregrina, as an adult beetle, is a pale yellow or orange with brown spots; one spot being on the thorax and two spots on each elytra on each wing. Sometimes the spots on the elytra are almost unnoticeable, as they seem to blend in with the rest of the body, this can be seen in the picture on the left. The adult beetles are 20 to 30 millimetres.

Behaviour

Sun beetles are incredible fliers, meaning they can easily evade predators and as the name suggests, they are more active in the day. They feed on ripe and rotten fruit and wood.

Distribution

Pachnoda marginata is a beetle that lives in west and central Africa. They are often found perching on Acacia trees.

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Image sources:

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Pachnoda marginata - Wikipedia

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Text references:

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Pachnoda marginata - Wikipedia

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We are home to a group of sun beetles that can be found in our Wee Beasties building.

[fellowshipofthenoodles]

The sun beetles having some apple in the sun! And look at all of those springtails and isopods!

We’ve got grubs underneath the cork bark too!

[id: two yellow and black/brown sun beetles munching on a slice of apple on top of some cork bark. There’s tons of tiny white specks that are springtails and some isopods skittering around as well]

[bugsaregoodtoo]

I don’t think they’ve really stopped eating since I put them in there haha

[fellowshipofthenoodles]

Fuck yeah grapes !!!

[ID: Three yellow, brown and black sun beetles eating a green grape cut in half]

[fellowshipofthenoodles]

One of our sun beetle larvae hatched! New babies are coming!

[ID: two pictures of a yellow and brown sun beetle on a piece of wood. There are some isopods around as well]

[fellowshipofthenoodles]

orgy mishap in the sun beetles enclosure

I rescued them 💀 offered my finger to save one of them and the whole gang bang came with

[id: 2 pictures of 3 sun beetles mating stacked on top of each other while being stuck upside down, and 1 picture of the same beetles clinging to each other, the top (bottom?) one gripping into Juniper’s finger after they rescued them]

[bugsaregoodtoo]

Sorry that I’ve not been updating or posting, college is kicking my behind recently with the work load so I forget to take pictures however I do have some updates!

The king baboon has not yet moulted and she’s still in her closed off burrow and she’s still acting normal so idk what she’s up to

The female sun beetle has also started digging almost to the bottom of the tub so I suspect there are babies to come, the Male spends most of his days eating so I could still get pictures of him which is good

Also there are now 29 C.morosus nymphs but I have yet to have a single A.fallax hatch and those are due this month if I have my dates right so that’s exciting!