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Pollen Beetles
Pollen beetle is an informal term for any species of beetle associated intimately with suitably pollen-rich species of flowers. Typically such a beetle is adapted to the pollen as a major part of its diet. Species in at least sixteen families of the order Coleoptera could be counted as pollen beetles, and "pollen beetle" also is a common name for some such species. Pollen feeding Many insects of small to modest size benefit from feeding on pollen of suitable plants; pollen tends to be rich in protein, plentiful in season and easily available. Many plants, such as some members of the Araceae and Zamiaceae, produce large amounts of nutritious pollen, while producing little or no nectar. The pollen of such plants attracts and nourishes specialist pollen feeders that perform pollination, and many of those pollen feeders are beetles. In accessing the pollen of such plants, many pollen-feeding insects form mutually beneficial ecological relationships. Others damage the flowers however, re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coleoptera
Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 described species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described arthropods and 25% of all known animal species; new species are discovered frequently, with estimates suggesting that there are between 0.9 and 2.1 million total species. However, the number of beetle species is challenged by the number of species in Fly, dipterans (flies) and hymenopterans (wasps). Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, such as the Colorado potato beetle, while others such as Coccinellidae (ladybirds or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Meloidae
Blister beetles are beetles of the family Meloidae, so called for their defensive secretion of a blistering agent, cantharidin. About 7,500 species are known worldwide. Many are conspicuous and some are aposematically colored, announcing their toxicity to would-be predators. Description Blister beetles are hypermetamorphic, going through several larval stages, the first of which is typically a mobile triungulin. The larvae are insectivorous, mainly attacking bees, though a few feed on grasshopper eggs. While sometimes considered parasitoids, in general, the meloid larva apparently consumes the immature host along with its provisions, and can often survive on the provisions alone; thus it is not an obligatory parasitoid, but rather a facultative parasitoid, or simply a kleptoparasite. The adults sometimes feed on flowers and leaves of plants of such diverse families as the Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Solanaceae. Cantharidin, a poisonous chemical that causes blis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astylus
''Astylus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Melyridae. More than 110 species have been described in ''Astylus''. They are found in Central and South America. One species, '' Astylus atromaculatus'', known as the spotted maize beetle, is indigenous to Argentina and neighbouring countries, but has been accidentally imported into the warmer regions of South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ..., where it has become an invasive crop pest.Van den Berg, J., Torto, B., Pickett, J. A., Smart, L. E., Wadhams, L. J. and Woodcock, C. M. 2008. Influence of visual and olfactory cues on field trapping of the pollen beetle, ''Astylus atromaculatus'' (Col.: Melyridae). Journal of Applied Entomology 132(6): 490 – 496. Selected species * '' Astylus antis'' * '' Astylus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dicranolaius Bellulus
''Dicranolaius bellulus'' (common name - Red and blue beetle) is a species of soft-winged flower beetle in the family Melyridae, found in Australia, in all mainland states and territories. It was first (partially) described in 1830 by Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville as ''Malachius bellulus'' with the publication of illustrations. ext; Zoologie 2(2), Division 1(plates 1 and 2 of “Insectes” published in 1830; text in 1838). However, Guérin-Méneville completed the description with the publication of a text in 1838. Consequently, the Australian Faunal Directory considers the first valid publication to be that of Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1835 (as ''Malachius bellulus''). Taxonomic reasons for the various synonyms are given in a 2017 paper by Liu, Slipinski and Pang. References External links * ''Dicranolaius bellulus'' occurrence datafrom GBIF The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an international organisation that focuses on making scientific data o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asteraceae
Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchidaceae, and which is the larger family is unclear as the quantity of Extant taxon, extant species in each family is unknown. The Asteraceae were first described in the year 1740 and given the original name Composita, Compositae. The family is commonly known as the aster, Daisy (flower), daisy, composite, or sunflower family. Most species of Asteraceae are herbaceous plants, and may be Annual plant, annual, Biennial plant, biennial, or Perennial plant, perennial, but there are also shrubs, vines, and trees. The family has a widespread distribution, from subpolar to tropical regions, in a wide variety of habitats. Most occur in Hot desert climate, hot desert and cold or hot Semi-arid climate, semi-desert climates, and they are found on ever ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cyperaceae
The Cyperaceae () are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as wikt:sedge, sedges. The family (biology), family is large; botanists have species description, described some 5,500 known species in about 90 genus, generathe largest being the "true wikt:sedge, sedges" (genus ''Carex''), with over 2,000 species. Distribution Cyperaceae species are widely distributed with the centers of diversity for the group occurring in tropical Asia and tropical South America. While sedges grow in almost all environments, many thrive in wetlands or in poor soils. Community (ecology), Ecological communities dominated by sedges are known as s or as sedge meadows. Classification Some species superficially resemble the closely related Juncaceae , rushes and the more distantly related grasses. Features distinguishing members of the sedge family from grasses or rushes are stems with triangular cross-sections (with occasional exceptions, a notable example be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Poaceae
Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and pasture. The latter are commonly referred to collectively as grass. With around 780 genera and around 12,000 species, the Poaceae is the fifth-largest plant family, following the Asteraceae, Orchidaceae, Fabaceae and Rubiaceae. The Poaceae are the most economically important plant family, including staple foods from domesticated cereal crops such as maize, wheat, rice, oats, barley, and millet for people and as feed for meat-producing animals. They provide, through direct human consumption, just over one-half (51%) of all dietary energy; rice provides 20%, wheat supplies 20%, maize (corn) 5.5%, and other grains 6%. Some members of the Poaceae are used as building materials ( bamboo, thatch, and straw); oth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astylus Atromaculatus
''Astylus atromaculatus'' is a species of beetle in the family Melyridae. It is variously known as the spotted maize beetle, or pollen beetle. It is indigenous to Argentina and neighbouring countries, but has been accidentally imported into the warmer regions of South Africa, where it has become invasive.Van den Berg, J., Torto, B., Pickett, J. A., Smart, L. E., Wadhams, L. J. and Woodcock, C. M. 2008. Influence of visual and olfactory cues on field trapping of the pollen beetle, ''Astylus atromaculatus'' (Col.: Melyridae). Journal of Applied Entomology 132(6): 490 – 496. Description Adult ''Astylus atromaculatus'' are roughly oval in shape, slightly elongated, with parallel sides. They generally are slightly flat in shape, and like most Melyridae, tend to be soft and leathery in texture. They attain about 12 mm in bodily length by 5 mm wide. They are finely bristly with finely punctured elytra and upper surfaces. The body colour is generally black, but with pale hai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Astylus Atromaculatus Coetze4
''Astylus'' is a genus of beetles in the family Melyridae. More than 110 species have been described in ''Astylus''. They are found in Central and South America. One species, ''Astylus atromaculatus'', known as the spotted maize beetle, is indigenous to Argentina and neighbouring countries, but has been accidentally imported into the warmer regions of South Africa, where it has become an invasive crop pest.Van den Berg, J., Torto, B., Pickett, J. A., Smart, L. E., Wadhams, L. J. and Woodcock, C. M. 2008. Influence of visual and olfactory cues on field trapping of the pollen beetle, ''Astylus atromaculatus'' (Col.: Melyridae). Journal of Applied Entomology 132(6): 490 – 496. Selected species * '' Astylus antis'' * ''Astylus atromaculatus ''Astylus atromaculatus'' is a species of beetle in the family Melyridae. It is variously known as the spotted maize beetle, or pollen beetle. It is indigenous to Argentina and neighbouring countries, but has been accidentally imported i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cephaloidae
Stenotrachelidae, commonly called false longhorn beetles is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea. They are native to the Northern Hemisphere. The larvae feed on heavily decomposed wood, while the adults are likely short lived and probably feed on pollen.Lawrence, John F. and Ślipinśki, Adam. "11.17. Stenotrachelidae C. G. Thomson, 1859". ''Volume 2 Morphology and Systematics (Elateroidea, Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia partim)'', edited by Willy Kükenthal, Richard A.B. Leschen, Rolf G. Beutel and John F. Lawrence, Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2011, pp. 670-674. Classification The false longhorn beetles belong to the large superfamily Tenebrionoidea. There are three subfamilies with about 6 genera and 20 species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ... ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stenotrachelidae
Stenotrachelidae, commonly called false longhorn beetles is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea. They are native to the Northern Hemisphere. The larvae feed on heavily decomposed wood, while the adults are likely short lived and probably feed on pollen.Lawrence, John F. and Ślipinśki, Adam. "11.17. Stenotrachelidae C. G. Thomson, 1859". ''Volume 2 Morphology and Systematics (Elateroidea, Bostrichiformia, Cucujiformia partim)'', edited by Willy Kükenthal, Richard A.B. Leschen, Rolf G. Beutel and John F. Lawrence, Berlin, New York: De Gruyter, 2011, pp. 670-674. Classification The false longhorn beetles belong to the large superfamily Tenebrionoidea. There are three subfamilies with about 6 genera and 20 species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hopliini
Monkey beetles are scarab beetles, a group of around 70 genera and 850 described species within the tribe Hopliini. The placement of this tribe within the family Scarabaeidae is uncertain between Melolonthinae and Rutelinae. Many species visit flowers for pollen and nectar, or to browse on the petals. The beetles are important pollinators of Aizoaceae and Asteraceae in grazed and ungrazed areas, as well as many others. They tend to favor flowers of white, yellow, pink, orange, and blue pigments. They also tend to favor flowers of symmetrical, abstract patterns.Shelley A Johnson, Susan W Nicolson, Pollen digestion by flower-feeding Scarabaeidae: protea beetles (Cetoniini) and monkey beetles (Hopliini), Journal of Insect Physiology, Volume 47, Issue 7, 2001, Pages 725-733, ISSN 0022-1910, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022 1910(00)00166-9. Due to their pollination patterns, many plants evolved special features in order to attract monkey beetles, such as the Iridaceae which now have br ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
