Welcome ! to Beetles of Bangkama ! please enjoy the 3D models and short observation article below.
*Use 1 finger to orbit the model, pinch for zoom in/out
Shining leaf chafer / แมลงนูนลายขวานคู่ ( Anomala variegata )
The magnificent beetle that can be found across Thailand, the Thai name “Pair axes” describes the pair of brown marks that resembles the axe shape. The body surface is very shiny with the gold and green tint reflects to the light, the body patterns can varies individually.
Ant nest Beetle / ด้วงรังมด (Cerapterus quadrimaculatus)
The cute yet bizzare looking beetle with a very dilated antennae and limbs. The lifestyle of this beetle is also wierd as well. As the name suggest, this beetle dwells in the nest of the ants feeding exclusively on ants larvae. Moreover, as this beetle is one of the ground beetle family (Carabidae), it is equipped with the bombard spray! which it can aim to shoot to the predators. Its unique lifestyle and its hideout makes them to be a rare encounter, and it is little known in Thailand.
Darkling beetle / ด้วงดำ, มอดแป้ง (Gonocephalum sp.)
The suspect pest beetle that feeds specially on agricultural plants like Coffee , it appears in the cluster of 20+ in the light trap. There is still no specific report on infestation in Bangkama area yet, but must keep an eye on!
People – Agriculture – Pest !
Bangkama is one of the delightful camping locations of tourists, as well as the area for native people to do the agriculture. The climate, elevation, and geography makes a well environment for doing fruit orchards or coffee farming.
Furthermore, the place is full of biodiversity of animal, plants, and fungi. We have found a diverse kind of insects especially the beetles; the insects with hardened forewings called ‘elytra’.
Intriguingly, according to the day experience and light trap survey in Bangkama, there is some interesting signs about some beetle species’ population.
The beetle mentioned above is the suspects of potential agriculture pests. Especially for a Darkling beetle or Flase wire worm (Gonocephalum sp.) the larva is well known pest in various agriculture plant seeds, roots, and young shoots. The beetle gathered in cluster of 20+ in the light which may tells us about some likelihood of few infestation in the agriculture area. On the right is the leaf beetle which have spotted flying in the area many times, it feeds on plants leaf and is ‘predicted’ to form the cluster on the host plant.
A picture of Darkling beetle cuddling together.
In the future Bangkama would be growing strong and bigger as a big community, the farming of plants might be more intense and widespread. This signs of beetle may warn us about the possible future infestation which can cause an impact to the orchard and income of the Bangkama people, which maybe unavoidable but remediable, and the long-term plan is something to have in mind.
