Bug of the Week -4

The insect world is pure science fiction with many Star Wars characters coming to mind. Most of these amazing insects are dependent on native vegetation and some totally dependant on very specific plants.

Long nosed Weevil is only 20mm long as an adult. Very little information is available for this bug that looks more like an Echidna than it does a bug!

The long nosed beetle has an elongated snout with a mouthpiece which is used to feed by boring along the stem of plants by raising itself up on its fabulous legs and grips the stem strongly

The reason I have chosen this bug this week is because we were asked to identify a bug that had invaded a home, at first it was believed to may have been a tick, but upon further investigation it was found that the bug was in fact a long nosed beetle!

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The Zombie Apocalypse, Caterpillar Style!

A virus which has struck the caterpillar world sends hypnotized victims running for tree tops. An action that is unusual for this type of caterpillar species. In a normal scenario the caterpillar would feed on leaves at night and hide during the day in cracks and crevices of the tree branch, however this virus has managed to change the natural habits of this caterpillar, by sending it up higher in the trees, not to feed but to die.

Once dead their bodies melt and fall down onto their brothers and sisters below, enabling the virus to continue to spread. This virus is known as Baculovirus and has seen to affect gypsy moth caterpillars.

This virus has turned caterpillars into Zombies!

When the caterpillar dies its body turns to liquid!

Each single drop of liquefied caterpillar contains millions of viruses.

One more worrying thing that has been discovered is that the virus is able to survive in the bellies of birds that have fed on the caterpillar; the virus is spread wider by the bird’s droppings.

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Bug of the Week - 3

The Golden Spider Beetle

 

The Golden spider beetle is a pest of stored food items such as seeds, dried meat, tea, seeds and grains. It can also be found in leather, books, paper, cotton silk and feathers and is covered in silky golden hairs and fine scales.

This nocturnal beetle spends the days in cracks and crevices and looks like a spider as it has a round abdomen, long thin legs. Its larvae are yellow white grubs with a brown head.

The adult beetle is about 4-5mm in length while the larvae can grow up to 3.5mm long.

The female beetle lays anywhere from 20-40 eggs and between 11-30 days after being laid and become adults just 18-26 days later.

The life cycle of the golden spider beetle is around 9mths.

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Think before you lick...

The envelope or stamp!!!

Lets face it, we all do it, 

we lick the envelope to seal and the stamp to stick!  

After reading this I am sure you will think of other means to seal the envelope and stick the stamp....

Did you know.....

The favorite food of cockroaches is the envelope glue and the glue behind postage stamps! 

YUCK!

Coming to the aid of a dying wasp

A yellow jacket that has been injured and is laying dying will release an alarm pheromone and within 15 seconds any yellow jacket within a 5 km radius will come to its aid!

Humans could learn a lot from animals and insects! How many times have we seen news reports or you tube videos showing humans injured and no one coming to their aid... YET here we have a wonderful example of how we should be!