BEETLE BOOT CAMP

 

Beetle Boot Camp, acrylic on canvas, 2022. 24" X 24"

Beetles and their smaller cousins, weevils, make up the largest subgroup of insects, consisting of half a million different species making up one third of all animal species. The front two wings of a beetle are hardened and strengthened into a protective covering called elytra. The elytra of some beetles come in a myriad of radiant and mesmerizing colors.

There are more than 6000 species of ladybirds (or ladybugs). Many species of ladybird have bright and contrasting colors and patterns, such as red with black spots, as a warning sign to potential predators. Three species are depicted in the painting: the red, seven-spotted ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata), the yellow, ten-spotted ladybird (Adalia decempunctata) and a black-colored Asian ladybird (Harmonia axyridis). The black ladybird has a genetic condition where the color of the spots and background on the elytra are reversed.

The red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva) is a species of soldier beetle (Cantharidae), which are relatively soft-bodied, straight-sided beetles. It can be found in Europe and Turkey and introduced to North America. Soldier beetles often feed on both nectar and pollen as well as predating other small insects.

Numbering at around 60,000 species, weevils form the largest subgroup of beetles. They have long, curved snouts called rostrums which look like a tiny elephant's trunk.

The giraffe weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa) is a weevil endemic to the island of Madagascar. It got its name from an extended neck, much like that of a giraffe. Males have necks typically 2 to 3 times the length of that of the female. The extended neck is an adaptation that assists in nest building and fighting. Most of the body is black with distinctive red elytra covering the flying wings.

Inside the boot are a group of beetle larvae, also called grubs. They tend to feed voraciously once they emerge from their eggs. The largest beetle grubs could measure up to 11 centimeters in length. Beetle grubs can be differentiated from other insect larvae by their hardened, often darkened heads, the presence of chewing mouthparts, and spiracles along the sides of their bodies. As with all insects that go through the larval stage, beetle grubs pupate, and from these pupae emerge fully formed, mature adult beetles.

The Colorado beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata, top left) is a type of beetle known for attacking crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants. It has a bright gold body and five bold dark brown stripes along the length of each of its elytra. Native to the Rocky Mountains, it spread rapidly in potato crops across North America and then Europe from 1859 onwards.

Macrodontia cervicornis (bottom left), also known as the saber-toothed longhorn beetle, is one of the largest beetles. This species is known from the rain forests of South America.

The filbert weevil (Curculio occidentis, middle right) is a species of acorn weevil found in western North America. This weevil is considered a pest for many species of oak tree due to the damage it causes to acorns. The female weevil lays small batches of typically two to four eggs in a developing acorn. The resulting larvae feed on the insides and when fully developed, tunnel out of the seed, fall to the ground and dig themselves a small chamber.

The European stag beetle (Lucanus cervus, top) is one of the best-known species of stag beetle (family Lucanidae) in Europe. The resemblance of the male's mandibles to the antlers of a stag, and their use in combat between males, much like with deer, gives the species its scientific and common names (cervus means deer in Latin). 

Rove beetles (Malay: Kumbang kayap) are distinct from other beetles for their shorter elytra. With roughly 63,000 species in thousands of genera, the rove beetle family is currently recognized as the largest extant family of organisms. Almost 400 species are known to live on ocean shores, while other species have adapted to live alongside ant and termite colonies, and some live in mutualistic relationships with mammals whereby they get rid of parasites. The colorful rove beetle, Phanolinus auratus (bottom right), of Central America is the species depicted.

The Hercules beetle (Dynastes hercules, top left) is a species of rhinoceros beetle found in the rainforests of Central and South America. It is the longest species of beetle in the world, and is also one of the largest flying insects in the world. It is named for its ability to lift and support objects more than 80 times its own weight. The beetles can be kept as pets.

The golden-spotted tiger beetle (Cicindela aurulenta, top right) is a member of the tiger beetle family, known for their fast sprinting speed and predatory lifestyle. The fastest species of tiger beetle, the Australian tiger beetle (Cicindela hudsoni), can run at a speed of 9 km/h (5.6 mph). The golden-spotted tiger beetle can be found in Southeast Asia, including the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Its elytra is dark blue-green, with six large yellow or bluish spots and two smaller spots on the shoulders. 

The heaviest beetle, and the heaviest insect, is the goliath beetle (Goliathus goliatus, bottom left), which can be found in Africa. It measures up to 110 millimeters and weighs up to 108 grams, which is almost as heavy as two chicken eggs. Its head is white with a black Y-shaped horn in males, used to compete with other males over feeding sites or mates. This beetle feeds primarily on tree sap and fruits.

Another Colorado beetle can be seen upside-down on the ground.

The Japanese rhinoceros beetle (Allomyrina dichotoma, top right) is present in East Asia, particularly in Japan, Taiwan, Korea and eastern China. It is very popular in Japanese culture, and are sometimes bred and kept as pets in the country. This beetle is also known for being commonly used in traditional beetle games such as beetle racing and beetle fighting.

Dung beetles serve as the "clean-up crew" in the "boot camp". They feed on detritus - animal waste and bits of dead animals and plants. Many dung beetles roll the dirt into large balls and lay their eggs in it, and the larvae that hatch will consume the ball as they grow, helping to recycle essential nutrients.

Sitting on the rhinoceros beetle is a rainbow scarab (Phanaeus vindex), a North American dung beetle found from the eastern United States to Arizona and Mexico. It has metallic colors ranging from yellow to green, and males have a black horn which curves backward toward the thorax.

The story

There was a trio of ladybirds which live in a boot. A number of other beetles arrive to stay, and this boot becomes a "boot camp". A group of large beetles regarded it as a "fitness boot camp", while a soldier beetle interprets it as a "military boot camp". Even young grubs are welcome. The dung beetles, the "clean-up crew", keep the camp clean. It is actually a literal "camp" in a boot, with plenty of activity among the beetles.