Priacma serrata - Bleach Beetle
California
Priacma serrata is an enigmatic insect from the conifer forests of western North America and is one of a handful of species belonging to the relictual beetle suborder Archostemata. It is often thought of as a "living fossil", bearing a strong resemblance to the earliest known beetles that pre-date even the dinosaurs.
Males are attracted to the scent of bleach, presumably because it resembles a female pheromone, and are sometimes collected off air-drying laundry. In spite of its unique evolutionary position, the biology of Priacma has not been adequately studied.
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS D60
ISO 100, f/13, 1/200 sec, flash diffused through tracing paper
- Log in to post comments
More like this
Nemognatha Blister Beetle, California.
Some of the oddest blister beetles in western North America are in the genus Nemognatha. Their mouthparts have become elongate to form a proboscis- a common trait among other groups of insects- but rare among the beetles. They are commonly seen on…
Trichodes ornatus, the ornate checkered beetle. California.
Don't let the pretty colors fool you. Trichodes ornatus, like many checkered beetles, is a fierce predator whose larvae attack the young of wood-boring insects.
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS D60
ISO 100…
Omoglymmius, wrinkled bark beetle (Rhysodini). California.
Rhysodine beetles make their living feeding on slime molds under the bark of decaying trees . They are instantly recognizable from the grooves on their backs and from their distinctly moniliform (bead-like) antennae. The taxonomic…
Ceruchus piceus - Stag Beetle - New York
photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS D60
ISO 100, 1/200 sec, f/13, flash diffused through tracing paper
That's pretty cool-- I had not heard of this one! Thanks!
Aww. I wish I could attract Archostomata with my laundry. In Toronto that's about as likely as... um, very unlikely.
I never see much about these guys, thanks for the post.