Biology:Death Valley June beetle
| Death Valley June beetle | |
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| Species: | P. erratica
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| Binomial name | |
| Polyphylla erratica (Hardy and Andrews, 1978)
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The Death Valley June beetle (Polyphylla erratica) is a scarab beetle in the subfamily Melolonthinae. It is only known to occur in the drainage basin of the Amargosa River in the southwestern United States.[1] Saltgrass communities, such as those at Saratoga Springs in Death Valley, provide habitat for the insect at all stages of its life.[2]
Predators of the beetle include coyotes, ravens, and shrikes, the last of which are known to impale the insects on vegetation.[2]
The Death Valley June beetle does not carry any official conservation status, but is listed as a Species of Concern by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.[3] The California Department of Fish and Game considers the beetle a "Special Animal" of high conservation need.[4]
References
- ↑ "Death Valley geology field trip: Saratoga and Valley Springs". USGS/NPS. http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/deva/ftsar2.html. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A. La Rue, Delbert (March–June 1998). "Notes on Polyphylla Harris with a description of a new species. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)". Insecta Mundi 12 (1 & 2): 22–37. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1351&context=insectamundi. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ↑ "Species Profile for Death Valley june beetle (Polyphylla erratica)". FWS. http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=I0L7. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
- ↑ "California Natural Diversity Database: SPECIAL ANIMALS (898 taxa)". CDFG. Archived from the original on 24 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140124164328/http://www.dfg.ca.gov/biogeodata/cnddb/pdfs/spanimals.pdf. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
Wikidata ☰ Q5247236 entry
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