Grape Vine Beetle May 4, 2006
Posted by noshoes in Creation, Insects.trackback
I heard the drumming of wings and the tapping of exoskeleton on the front porch window this night. I jumped up and exited the home to find this large specimen hovering around. Once I had him in hand I could not get his hooks out of me. These insects are amazingly powerful for their small size and they are built like little tanks or tanks are built like them.
Life span: Adults live for approximately two months. Grubs usually take under 12 months to become adults. Diet: Adults will eat apple or banana slices and also seem to enjoy fresh grape leaves. Grubs fare best on a diet of medium-decayed hardwood. Notes: Females tend to be a little larger than males, and are usually a little lighter in color. They will lay eggs in substrate that is almost completely rotten wood. During pupation, the larval skin is shed but left nearly intact to form a loose outer covering. Common Names: Spotted pelidnota, spotted June beetle, grapevine beetle.
hello mr.billy,
my husband and i went out for a walk one day and found this grapevine beetle on the street, the beetle’s legs were
all taken out(cut off) somehow.
we took it home and placed it in a small plant pot.
how much of water should i give it to this beetle?
does it like water?
i just found this beetle eats apple,
and banana so i just gave little bit of banana
but doesn’t seem to eat it.
i’d like to help this beetle to survive in a bit nicer
environment till it dies but don’t know what to do.
would you give good suggestion?
thank you very much.
I cannot say what the best way to care for yoiur injured beetle is. like most insects they do not have very long life spans. It is enought that you have compasion for the least of God’s creations and you have made the little creature comfortable.
I do believe I have seen these beetles eating leaves of the passion vine.
I have fond memories of my one and only Grapevine Beetle I found on my grandmother’s porch in 1967. This beetle was incredibly smart, and made a nice pet for a young boy. I let it free one afternoon only to find it in the evening flying around my porch light. When I opened the front door, the Grapevine beetle flew inside. I had it for another two weeks until one day it saw the sun light and flew away. I turned on the proch light that evening and it never returned.
That Grapevine Beetle was every bit as friendly as my pet chameleon. It would wait for me and grab on to my finger to come out. It loved fresh apples, and acted like a pet until nature decided it was time to go.
[...] in the spring. I found one site that offered care information for the species, but aside from a couple comments on the web, couldn’t see any evidence that it was frequently kept in [...]