Post by Admin on Mar 30, 2016 23:47:45 GMT
Name: Frigate Island giant tenebrionid beetle (Polposipus herculeanus)
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Tenebrionidae
Genus: Polposipus
Species:P. herculeanus
IUCN Rating: Vulnerable
Description: This beetle is dark brown in colour, it has long legs and a large, rounded abdomen covered with small, raised tubercles.
Range: Frégate Island in the Seychelles
Habitat: This species lives in trees (arboreal) normally near the coast.
Diet: This species eats fungi, algae and lichen, fruit and leaves in the wild. it has been shown to eat fruit, vegetables, fungus, bark and even cat food in captivity.
Breeding: The beetle reproduces by laying eggs. which take about 2 weeks to hatch. There are 7 larval stages before it emerges as a fully grown adult.
Threats: The main threats to this beetle come from introduced predators because it is limited only to one island. Another threat is the risk of natural disaster also because of its limited geographical range. Finally there is also the risk of disease occurring in the sangdragon trees where they make their home.
Points of interest: This is the largest species of tenebrionid beetle in the world. These beetles do not normally venture more than 19 metres from the host tree. This species has lived for up to 7 years in captivity although it is believed to have a shorter lifespan in the wild.
Sources and further information:
www.arkive.org/frigate-island-giant-tenebrionid-beetle/polposipus-herculeanus/
www.iucnredlist.org/details/17902/0
carnivoraforum.com/topic/9704377/1/
eol.org/pages/5010059/details
www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/invertebrates/insects-and-millipedes/polposipus-herculeanus
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polposipus_herculeanus
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Tenebrionidae
Genus: Polposipus
Species:P. herculeanus
IUCN Rating: Vulnerable
Description: This beetle is dark brown in colour, it has long legs and a large, rounded abdomen covered with small, raised tubercles.
Range: Frégate Island in the Seychelles
Habitat: This species lives in trees (arboreal) normally near the coast.
Diet: This species eats fungi, algae and lichen, fruit and leaves in the wild. it has been shown to eat fruit, vegetables, fungus, bark and even cat food in captivity.
Breeding: The beetle reproduces by laying eggs. which take about 2 weeks to hatch. There are 7 larval stages before it emerges as a fully grown adult.
Threats: The main threats to this beetle come from introduced predators because it is limited only to one island. Another threat is the risk of natural disaster also because of its limited geographical range. Finally there is also the risk of disease occurring in the sangdragon trees where they make their home.
Points of interest: This is the largest species of tenebrionid beetle in the world. These beetles do not normally venture more than 19 metres from the host tree. This species has lived for up to 7 years in captivity although it is believed to have a shorter lifespan in the wild.
Sources and further information:
www.arkive.org/frigate-island-giant-tenebrionid-beetle/polposipus-herculeanus/
www.iucnredlist.org/details/17902/0
carnivoraforum.com/topic/9704377/1/
eol.org/pages/5010059/details
www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/invertebrates/insects-and-millipedes/polposipus-herculeanus
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polposipus_herculeanus