Mecynorhina torquata ugandensis

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mecynorhina torquata ugandensis
male

male

Systematics
Order : Beetle (Coleoptera)
Family : Scarab beetle (Scarabaeidae)
Subfamily : Rose chafer (Cetoniinae)
Genre : Mecynorhina
Type : Mecynorhina torquata
Subspecies : Mecynorhina torquata ugandensis
Scientific name
Mecynorhina torquata ugandensis
( Moser , 1907)

The subspecies Mecynorhina torquata ugandensis (also Uganda rose beetle or African rose beetle ) is a beetle from the subfamily of the rose beetles (Cetoniinae). It is best known for its widespread use in terrariums .
The incorrect spelling Mecyno rr hina is widespread in German-speaking countries .

features

Sexual dimorphism: male left, female right

It is a large rose beetle, males grow to about 85 mm, females 65 mm. Usually they stay much smaller, between 50 and 60 mm. The species shows a pronounced sexual dimorphism : In the male, the rail of the foreleg is thorny on both sides, and it has a head horn.
The coloring is extremely variable.

Occurrence

The distribution area is on Lake Albert and includes parts of Uganda and the DR Congo .

Way of life

In captivity, the feed Imagines of fruit. Other sources of food (e.g. tree sap) are also conceivable. The development period for bred beetles is a little over a year. The larvae eat rotten wood and humus.

Others

The species was used as a model organism to the use of insects as a remote-controlled " Cyborg - drone " to explore because they can carry a lot of weight comparatively. In experiments it was also possible to control the beetles in flight. Rose beetles are particularly suitable for this, as they fly with closed elytra . This allows a circuit board to be attached to the top without the beetle losing its ability to fly.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ondrej Zicha; ondrej.zicha (at) gmail.com: BioLib: Biological library. Retrieved February 19, 2019 .
  2. ↑ African rose beetle - Schönbrunn Zoo. Retrieved February 19, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Moser (J.), 1907. Contribution to the knowledge of the Cetoniden (3), Annales de la Société entomologique de Belgique, 51, p. 313
  4. ↑ Breed-Beetles.de , accessed on June 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ Cyborg beetle research allows free-flight study of insects , accessed June 10, 2016

Web links