GMU:Lebendige Spiele:Beetles

Beetles

First you have to decide what kind of beetle you want to work with because there are soo many different kinds!

There are a lot of different Beetles (350.000 species in 179 families are described) They are the largest group of insects. Their front pair of wings is hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. Beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests, while others eat aphids, scale insects, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects that damage crops (ladybirds).

All of the sensing organs are used to find partners or food or to fend off predators.

All beetles do have feelers. With that they can sense contacts and some can also breath with it. They can't see very well. But night active beetles can see at night. So they can find female partners, that for example can glow. Firefly - (Lampyris noctiluca)

All of them do breath oxygen via Trachea. Even all the Beetles that live under water need to breath oxygen. They have different technics to do that. Some in water beetles which trap air bubbles under the elytra for use while diving.

Beetles have a variety of ways to communicate, including the use of pheromones. The mountain pine beetle emits a pheromone to attract other beetles to a tree. The mass of beetles are able to overcome the chemical defenses of the tree. After the tree's defenses have been exhausted, the beetles emit an anti-aggregation pheromone. The species can stridulate to communicate.

facts

The biggest one is the Titanus giganteus (Riesenbockkäfer). It can measures 170 mm.

There are some beetles that can sense fire. Some can feel the change of temperature others can hear the noise of fire. The do that to find mates and place their larvaes into the burned wood. (special australian beetles)

Some beetles have very beautiful colors. e.g. (Carabus problematicus) Many beetles are aposematic, with bright colours and patterns warning of their toxicity, while others are harmless Batesian mimics of such insects. Many beetles, including those that live in sandy places, have effective camouflage.

technologies

Technological adaptations have also utilised living beetles as cyborgs. For example, a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency funded project implanted electrodes into adult male Rhinoceros beetles, allowing them to be remotely controlled via a radio receiver held on its back. Electrical signals delivered via the electrodes command the insect to take off, turn left or right, or hover in midflight. The research was intended to suggest proof-of-concept for surveillance purposes. Similar technology has been applied to the flower beetle Mecynorhina torquata to stimulate different walking gaits and lengths of a live beetle controllable by a human operator.

beetles & human

Beetles are used as pets or fighting insects for entertainment and gambling. Many beetle groups are brightly and attractively coloured making them objects of collection and decorative displays. Over 300 species are used as food, mostly as larvae; species widely consumed include mealworms and rhinoceros beetle larvae. Rhinoceros beetles have become popular pets in parts of Asia, due to being relatively clean, easy to maintain, and safe to handle. Also in Asia, male beetles are used for gambling fights. Since males naturally have the tendency to fight each other for the attention of females, they are the ones used for battle. To get the two male beetles to lock in combat, a female beetle or a small noisemaker is used to duplicate the female's mating call.