В Аризоне засняли гигантского жука-короеда, достигающего 9 см в длину

Beetlemania is here! No, not the British Invasion, but summertime and the time of big bugs crawling along, conducting their big bug business. They may not usually be very musical (though a few species are known for their squeaking when disturbed), but they are certainly impressive. There are a lot of beetles out there, too. In fact, there may be more species of beetle than any other creature on Earth. Arizona has a diverse population, including one of the largest species in North America, the Palo Verde Root Borer. Palo Verde Root Borer The Palo Verde Root Borer (Derobrachus hovorei) can grow up to around 3 and a half inches long, making a sometimes startling sight for people not aware that our local beetles can get that big. Fortunately, despite its fierce, spiky appearance, it’s not aggressive and is happy to mind its own business, posing little threat to people or pets. However, it can fly and having a huge dark shape suddenly buzzing clumsily towards you at night could certainly be startling. Palo Verde Root Borers, as their name suggests, hatch from eggs and the grubs then burrow down into the roots of trees, often Palo Verde trees, until emerging 3-4 years later as an adult beetle. Healthy trees can usually withstand the big bug’s activity, but sickly trees may struggle. One potential sign of root borers can be having just one branch suddenly die off on a tree. However, in general these giants of the beetle world coexist with Palo Verdes and other trees as part of the natural desert ecosystem. Here’s another longhorn beetle that looks quite similar to the Palo Verde Root Borer but is a little smaller: a species of Prionus beetle, likely either a California Prionus Beetle (Prionus californicus) or a Prionus Longhorn Beetle (Prionus heroicus). In Mohave County, I most often see Palo Verde Root Borers, but we do have other species of longhorn beetle, too. This is a beetle that truly lives up to its name: the Glorious Scarab Beetle (Chrysina gloriosa). Unfortunately, it is not found in much of Mohave County, but if you visit neighboring areas to the east, such as around Prescott, you might get lucky enough to see one. They, like most beetles listed here, are especially active in the summer around the monsoon season. The only one I’ve ever seen in the wild was this beetle, which visited my campsite one hot August night in the Prescott National Forest. It was a magical night. The iridescence of this shining jewel come crawling out of the pitch black of the night to my camp lights was stunning. Another beetle you won’t likely see in much of Mohave County but can be found in slightly higher elevations east and north of here: The Ten-Lined June Beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata). Remember how I mentioned that some species make squeaking noises when disturbed? This one sure does! Note how the antenna are spread out into a fan- males use their antennas to detect pheromones from females. Also note the Glorious Scarab Beetle to its left in the picture. This was also photographed near Prescott. I find these chunky beetles quite charming. Another incredible beetle that is found in Mohave County: the Western Rhinoceros Beetle (Xyloryctes thestalus). These dark brown beetles are named for the rhino-like “horn” on the male’s head (females lack this horn). I’ve found a few in and around Kingman over the years. There is also an even larger and more impressive “rhino beetle” found in Arizona, the Grant’s Hercules Beetle (Dynastes grantii). Range maps on inaturalist.com show sightings of Hercules Beetles near Seligman and around Prescott but possible range including much of Mohave County. The Figeater Beetle (Cotinis mutabilis), also called a “June bug” by some locals, is another scarab beetle that I’ve covered in Nature Notes before. It’s commonly seen in parts of Mohave County in the summer, often spotting buzzing noisily as it flies clumsily through the sky (and yes, I’ve had one land on my hair before). It’s harmless to humans, though, and almost as beautiful as the Glorious Scarab with its green iridescence and short “horns” on its head (as shown in this picture). The Palo Verde Root Borer (Derobrachus hovorei) can grow up to around 3 and a half inches long, making a sometimes startling sight for people not aware that our local beetles can get that big. Fortunately, despite its fierce, spiky appearance, it’s not aggressive and is happy to mind its own business, posing little threat to people or pets. However, it can fly and having a huge dark shape suddenly buzzing clumsily towards you at night could certainly be startling. Palo Verde Root Borers, as their name suggests, hatch from eggs and the grubs then burrow down into the roots of trees, often Palo Verde trees, until emerging 3-4 years later as an adult beetle. Healthy trees can usually withstand the big bug’s activity, but sickly trees may struggle. One potential sign of root borers can be having just one branch suddenly die off on a tree. However, in general these giants of the beetle world coexist with Palo Verdes and other trees as part of the natural desert ecosystem. JC Amberlyn/For the Miner Prionus beetle Here’s another longhorn beetle that looks quite similar to the Palo Verde Root Borer but is a little smaller: a species of Prionus beetle, likely either a California Prionus Beetle (Prionus californicus) or a Prionus Longhorn Beetle (Prionus heroicus). In Mohave County, I most often see Palo Verde Root Borers, but we do have other species of longhorn beetle, too. JC Amberlyn/For the Miner Glorious Scarab Beetle This is a beetle that truly lives up to its name: the Glorious Scarab Beetle (Chrysina gloriosa). Unfortunately, it is not found in much of Mohave County, but if you visit neighboring areas to the east, such as around Prescott, you might get lucky enough to see one. They, like most beetles listed here, are especially active in the summer around the monsoon season. The only one I’ve ever seen in the wild was this beetle, which visited my campsite one hot August night in the Prescott National Forest. It was a magical night. The iridescence of this shining jewel come crawling out of the pitch black of the night to my camp lights was stunning. JC Amberlyn/For the Miner Ten-Lined June Beetle Another beetle you won’t likely see in much of Mohave County but can be found in slightly higher elevations east and north of here: The Ten-Lined June Beetle (Polyphylla decemlineata). Remember how I mentioned that some species make squeaking noises when disturbed? This one sure does! Note how the antenna are spread out into a fan- males use their antennas to detect pheromones from females. Also note the Glorious Scarab Beetle to its left in the picture. This was also photographed near Prescott. I find these chunky beetles quite charming. JC Amberlyn/For the Miner Western Rhinoceros Beetle Another incredible beetle that is found in Mohave County: the Western Rhinoceros Beetle (Xyloryctes thestalus). These dark brown beetles are named for the rhino-like “horn” on the male’s head (females lack this horn). I’ve found a few in and around Kingman over the years. There is also an even larger and more impressive “rhino beetle” found in Arizona, the Grant’s Hercules Beetle (Dynastes grantii). Range maps on inaturalist.com show sightings of Hercules Beetles near Seligman and around Prescott but possible range including much of Mohave County. JC Amberlyn/For the Miner Figeater Beetle The Figeater Beetle (Cotinis mutabilis), also called a “June bug” by some locals, is another scarab beetle that I’ve covered in Nature Notes before. It’s commonly seen in parts of Mohave County in the summer, often spotting buzzing noisily as it flies clumsily through the sky (and yes, I’ve had one land on my hair before). It’s harmless to humans, though, and almost as beautiful as the Glorious Scarab with its green iridescence and short “horns” on its head (as shown in this picture). Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. 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