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''Pericoptus truncatus'' is a large sand scarab beetle. It is native to
''Pericoptus truncatus'' lives in sandy shore areas where driftwood is present, from Ninety Mile beach to Surat Bay, near Bluff. The beetle and its larvae inhabit the area extending from above the high tide mark and including the dunes fronting the beach. They do not seem to occur in dunes found further inland.
The larvae, pupae and adults are common amongst the roots of marram grass and under or within driftwood. The beetles can be found to be living up to 1.2m below ground.
An exotic Scoliidae wasp, the yellow flower wasp, '' Radumeris tasmaniensis'' has been found in Northland,
Image of ''Pericoptus truncatus'' larva in sandDrawing of a ''Pericoptus truncatus'' larvae
*''Pericoptus truncatus'' discussed on
6 September 2019
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7168422 Dynastinae Beetles of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Beetles described in 1775 Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius Endemic insects of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
and is found on beaches throughout New Zealand. Its Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
name is ngungutawa.
The adult spends the daylight hours buried in the sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
, emerging at night to fly noisily around in search of mates and food. It leaves obvious trails in the sand when walking around. The female lays eggs deep in the sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
and the large white grubs can often be found under driftwood
__NOTOC__
Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves.
In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides shelter and fo ...
, though they feed on root
In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the sur ...
s of dune plants.
Description
Thomas Broun described the species as follows:Distribution and habitat
''Pericoptus truncatus'' lives in sandy shore areas where driftwood is present, from Ninety Mile beach to Surat Bay, near Bluff. The beetle and its larvae inhabit the area extending from above the high tide mark and including the dunes fronting the beach. They do not seem to occur in dunes found further inland.
The larvae, pupae and adults are common amongst the roots of marram grass and under or within driftwood. The beetles can be found to be living up to 1.2m below ground.
Ecology
''Pericoptus truncatus'' larvae have an unknown association with the '' Mumulaelaps ammochostos'' mite, which are found living on the outside of the larvae. The association is unlikely to be parasitic and it has been suggested that the mites may actually feed on other mites and nematodes associated with the larvae.Threats
An exotic Scoliidae wasp, the yellow flower wasp, '' Radumeris tasmaniensis'' has been found in Northland, North Island
The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...
, New Zealand. This has been a cause for concern as ''R. tasmaniensis'' parasitise
Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The entomologist E. O. Wilson has ...
s on the large sand scarab's larvae. The female stings and paralyses the scarab larva and lays eggs on it. The wasp larva then slowly consumes the paralysed beetle larva.
Parasites
At certain times of the month ''Pericoptus truncatus'' larvae have been observed immersing themselves in the saltwater saturated sand at the low tide zone for a period & then returning to the sand dunes. This behaviour was mostly conducted under the safety of night-time. It has been suggested that this may be the larvae's effort to remove themselves of parasites.
References
External links
Image of ''Pericoptus truncatus'' larva in sand
*''Pericoptus truncatus'' discussed on
RNZ
Radio New Zealand ( mi, Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa), commonly known as Radio NZ or simply RNZ, is a New Zealand public-service radio broadcaster and Crown entity that was established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news and cu ...
Critter of the Week6 September 2019
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7168422 Dynastinae Beetles of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Beetles described in 1775 Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius Endemic insects of New Zealand