Wedge-shaped beetles, take two. - Ripiphorus vierecki

HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp

Clickable Guide

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29

Previous events

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData

Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Series Cucujiformia » Tenebrionoidea » Wedge-shaped Beetles (Ripiphoridae) » Ripiphorinae » Ripiphorus » Ripiphorus vierecki

Photo#122920

Copyright © 2007 Ron Hemberger

Wedge-shaped beetles, take two. - Ripiphorus vierecki -

Riley Wilderness Park, Coto De Caza, Orange County, California, USA
June 16, 2007

This is the second of two posts showing this nifty beetle. The other calls it "Bizarro", which you can find by searching or reviewing other images in this section. Intent here is to show additional detail on ovipositing, antenna and pattern on the back, plus provide some additional information.

This from Hartmut Wisch and lightly edited: "They're phoretic parasitoids, like certain meloid beetles. Females lay eggs into flowers, the hatchlings, called triungulins, then hitch a ride with visiting solitary bees. Carried to the bees' nest, they'll become internal parasites of the host larvae."

A personal observation: Eggs are laid - here on composite - on buds that will soon bloom. Apparently, the idea is to have the young ready to be transported to their new "families" as soon as the flower is ready for the bees' visits.

Images of this individual: tag all

Wedge-shaped beetles, take two. - Ripiphorus vierecki - female

tag · login or register to post comments

Contributed by Ron Hemberger on 29 June, 2007 - 10:39pm
Last updated 20 June, 2010 - 11:51am

Beautiful series, Ron!

And good to have images of oviposition for this fascinating and fairly rare creature. That's a very clear shot of the ovipositor!

Also enjoyed your observation about the female ovipositing on flowers in bud, so when the egg hatches the triangulin will not be too late for easily finding visiting bees. (I wonder how long it takes for the eggs to hatch?) I noticed a number of other BG posts show female Ripiphorus on flowers in bud.

Regarding the plant, the flower heads do resemble a composite, but I'm quite sure (from the overall gestalt of the bracts: size, shape, venation, number, etc.) that it's actually a species of Monardella, in the mint family. Easy to mistake for a comp though! I can't tell the species from the images, but from location it might be M. hypoleuca?

I recently posted a series of images of what I think is (the very similar looking) R. rex...it was also a female ovipositing on a flower head of Monardella:

… Aaron Schusteff, 19 August, 2012 - 5:50am

Thanks, Aaron.

I'm sure you're right about the plant. I remember where I shot the first beetle, but not this one. I may have just assumed the plants were the same or the same type. (The first was in a butterfly garden, and there were loads of mint nearby.)

… Ron Hemberger, 19 August, 2012 - 1:43pm

Moved

Moved from Ripiphorus.

… Ron Hemberger, 20 June, 2010 - 11:51am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Printer Friendly Version