Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Register
·
Log In
Home
Guide
ID Request
Recent
Frass
Forums
Donate
Help
Clickable Guide
Calendar
Upcoming Events
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho
July 24-27
Moth submissions
from
National Moth Week 2024
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
Taxonomy
Browse
Info
Images
Links
Books
Data
Home
» Guide »
Arthropods (Arthropoda)
»
Hexapods (Hexapoda)
»
Insects (Insecta)
»
Beetles (Coleoptera)
»
Polyphaga
»
Series Cucujiformia
»
Longhorn and Leaf Beetles (Chrysomeloidea)
»
Leaf Beetles (Chrysomelidae)
»
Tortoise Beetles and the Hispines (Cassidinae)
»
Hemisphaerotini
»
Hemisphaerota
»
Palmetto Tortoise Beetle (Hemisphaerota cyanea)
Photo#8908
Copyright © 2004
Tony DiTerlizzi
Palmetto Tortoise Beetle -
Hemisphaerota cyanea
Stuart, Florida, USA
November 25, 2004
This is the underside of the Tortoise beetle fecal nest, showing the larva protected by it's fecal strands...eeewwww!
I was actually surprised to find how brightly colored the grub was. This photo was taken at the
Seabranch Preserve State Park
.
tag
·
login
or
register
to post comments
Contributed by
Tony DiTerlizzi
on 5 December, 2004 - 8:56am
Last updated 7 December, 2004 - 8:35am
Paper
You might like this paper I stumbled across about the fecal thatch of this species: http://www.pnas.org/content/97/6/2632.full.pdf+html
Great pic BTW!
…
Tony H
, 2 January, 2010 - 6:13pm
login
or
register
to post comments
Cool
I recently read about these in
For Love of Insects
(
1
)
. Eisner reports that the thatch is complete within 12 hours of hatching. It apparently provides great camouflage as most predators don't bother it. At least one ground beetle, however,
Calleida viridipennis
, has learned the trick and probably preys on them often.
…
Troy Bartlett
, 5 December, 2004 - 9:09am
login
or
register
to post comments
Comment viewing options
Flat list - collapsed
Flat list - expanded
Threaded list - collapsed
Threaded list - expanded
Date - newest first
Date - oldest first
10 comments per page
30 comments per page
50 comments per page
70 comments per page
90 comments per page
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.