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© DT Almquist 2016
This is Young's Deepdigger Scarab Beetle (Peltotrupes youngi), which is mostly active from November to April, and we are highlighting this species because it is very active now and because we have recently received distributional information about it. It only lives in a very small area in Florida in and near Ocala National Forest primarily in open, well-managed, scrub habitat. |
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| © Machele White 2016 The related Florida Deepdigger Scarab Beetle (Peltotrupes profundus), above, is known from surrounding areas in xeric (very dry) habitat in the northern Florida peninsula. |
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| Image courtesy of Henry Howden and the Scarabs newsletter The above image is of Henry Howden, who was the world expert on the family of Earth-boring Scarabs, standing in a hole that he dug to excavate a Deepdigger Scarab's burrow to learn more about its biology. These beetles dig burrows about 6 feet deep, and sometimes down to 10 feet, which is pretty impressive since it’s only about ¾ of an inch long! It provisions its burrow, where is lays its eggs, with pine needles, pine cones, and leaves. Adult diet is unknown, but they have been recorded under a nibbled-on mushroom, under horse dung, captured in pitfall traps baited with dung, and will gobble down moistened dry cat food in captivity. |
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© DT Almquist 2016
Fresh burrow mounds of Deepdigger Scarabs have a "chunky" texture to them because the beetle loosens sand at the bottom and then pushes it all the way up the burrow and out the entrance.
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© DT Almquist 2016
Although they have somewhat impressive mandibles ("jaws"), I have never had a Deepdigger Scarab try to bite me and I think that this one just posed nicely for me because it wants me to put it back down so that it can get some more food.
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Many thanks to Paul Moler for sending me these interesting and beautiful beetles so that I could get pictures of them and write about them.
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| © DT Almquist 2016 The End |
Do the Florida Deep Digger Scarabs get as far south as Pinellas County? I think we have them, based on the sandy mounds I've seen.
ReplyDeleteLiz Childress, informal educator, Brooker Creek Preserve
Yes, they are known from Pinellas County. There are other creatures that make somewhat similar mounds, but if the mounds appear during the cooler months in xeric habitats and appear somewhat chunky or ropy when fresh, then it is likely that it's that species.
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