Giraffe neck beetle
| Giraffe neck beetle | ||||||||||||
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Giraffe neck beetle ( Trachelophorus giraffa ), male |
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| Trachelophorus giraffa | ||||||||||||
| ( Jekel , 1860) |
The giraffe neck beetle ( Trachelophorus giraffa ) is a beetle from the leaf roller family (Attelabidae). Its name is derived from its strikingly long neck.
features
Giraffe neck beetles are characterized by a slight sexual dimorphism . Males reach a total length of up to 25 millimeters, with the species-typical, very long neck having a total length of approx. 18 millimeters. This makes the species unmistakable. There is a joint behind the approximately 13 millimeter long stretched front part. The females' necks are only half to a third of the length of the male's neck. The elytra of both sexes are shiny red while the rest of the body is black in color. There are fine indentations on the wing covers. The medium-length sensors are provided with bulges.
Occurrence
The giraffe neck beetle is endemic to Madagascar .
Way of life
The animals live on leaves in forests. Before mating, the males use their long necks to fight and drive away competitors. After a successful mating, the female folds a leaf of the host plant Dichaetanthera cordifolia or Dichaetanthera arborea from the family of the black mouth plants (Melastomataceae). The two sides of the sheet are folded in and rolled up from the tip. There the female lays a single egg and cuts the leaf so that it falls to the ground. The young larva then initially feeds on this leaf.
credentials
literature
- Steven M. Goodman, Jonathan P. Benstead: The Natural History of Madagascar. University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2007, ISBN 978-0-226-30307-9 .
Web links
- Giraffe weevil - Nature Wildlife