The giraffe weevil (Trachelophorus giraffa) is a form of beetle native to Madagascar, is so-called because of its distended neck that rises up above its carapace. The long neck above a sloped body is reminiscent of the African giraffe. Giraffe weevils live in forests, spending almost their entire lives on a tree known as the “giraffe beetle tree”. The anecdotal "giraffe beetle tree," known by its scientific name Dichaetanthera arborea, is found only in Madagascar. It provides both home and diet for the giraffe weevil. In addition to eating the leaves of this tree, the giraffe weevil also nests in it. Unlike their strange look, the giraffe weevil is completely harmless. They show no aggression towards humans or other species. The giraffe weevil cannot bite or sting and, therefore, are not dangerous to humans.
The bright red shell that covers the back of the giraffe weevil is called the elytra. It is a form of the hardened forewing, although it is not formally a wing. The elytra form a casing to protect the fragile hind wings that lay underneath, which are used for flying. To fly, the giraffe weevil, like any other flying beetle, will hold open the scarlet elytra as it lifts and then rotates its hindwings, which are made of a membranous material.
The total body length of the males is just under an inch (2.5 cm), among the longest for any attelabid species. The male giraffe weevil's neck can be up to three times as long as his female counterpart. The length of the beetle's neck is used primarily for nest building and fighting with other male giraffe weevils. Fighting between giraffe weevils is typically done during the mating season, where the male weevils attempt to impress the females by defeating other weevils. The neck itself is used as a weapon to push and wrestle with the opponent, it is rare that one of the opponents will die in the course of a fight.
This unusual neck also comes in handy when it comes time to build a nice little home for their children. The Giraffe Weevil will use its neck to roll up a portion of a leaf on its host plant. The female will then lay a single egg inside of the newly created leaf tube before snipping the tube away from the rest of the leaf. Once the egg hatches the little larvae will have a nice vegetarian meal as they eat their rolled-up nest to get some energy to start their life.
These species are not listed as threatened or endangered, their population is thought to be healthy and, remarkably, they are not predated by any other species. It is suspected that the eggs may be occasionally eaten by smaller bugs, leading the male to protectively hang around after mating, but even this is not proven.
#Wildlife #Rainforest #Tenrec
1 окт 2021
