Source: Science and Technology Daily
Atlas
Courtesy of respondents
On September 14, the reporter learned from the Huaxi Entomological Museum in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, that zhao Li, the director of the museum, obtained a rare and peculiar Gecai Arm Golden Turtle on September 7, which was donated to the museum by an enthusiastic netizen after being found on a tree in Xiangyan Town, Pingwu County, Mianyang City. This is the second time the species has appeared in Sichuan.
"In 2017, the beetle was found three times in the Qinling area, in Gansu, Shaanxi and Beichuan in Sichuan Province, this time only a few tens of kilometers from the last time it was found in Sichuan, proving that this species is distributed in the region." Zhao Li said.
Protected animals in the country wearing "bronze armor"
The Bulbophyllum belongs to the phylum arthropods, insects, coleoptera, golden turtle family, arm golden turtle subfamily, and colored arm golden turtle genus. Zhao Li introduced that this Gecai arm golden turtle has a body length of 5.2 cm, a body width of 2.9 cm, an oval body, a dark green head and a chest, a metallic luster, and some pits, which look like the surface of bronze.
According to the data, in 1988, the then State Forestry Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture listed the Gecai arm golden turtle as a national second-level protected animal in the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Wild Animals, and in 2000 it was listed as a beneficial or terrestrial wild animal with important economic and scientific research value protected by the state.
It is understood that the Gecai arm golden turtle is a completely metamorphosed insect, and the life cycle is divided into four stages: eggs, larvae, pupae and adult insects. The eggs are initially milky white and gradually turn yellowish.
In the larval stage, the head shell of the Gecai arm golden turtle will gradually change from yellowish brown to brownish red, and the end of the larval period is the most "majestic" time in its life, with a body length of more than 10 centimeters, far larger than the adult stage.
After passing the larval stage, the Gecai Arm Golden Turtle ushered in the moment of pupae, and finally broke out of the pupa. After feathering in the summer, it spends a month or so in the decaying wood, after which it begins to eat and mate.
"The Gecai-armed Golden Turtle often lives in mountainous areas with good vegetation, and the larvae mostly feed on decaying wood." Zhao Li said that the adults of the Gecai Arm Golden Turtle feed on the sap flowing from the trees, and some fruits can be fed during the feeding process. "In addition, the past discovery of this species in the tropical regions of southern China has been found around the Qinling Mountains in recent years, which to some extent confirms that the global climate is warming."
Eye-catching long legs or courtship magic
Insects evolved their sensitivity to light in order to navigate survival activities with the help of the light of the stars and moons, but the unnatural light created by humans has made them lose their way.
It is understood that there are currently 10 species recorded in the world, and 7 species are recorded in China, including the Yangcai Arm Golden Turtle, the Gecai Arm Golden Turtle, the Taiwan Colored Arm Golden Turtle, the Fucai Arm Golden Turtle, etc., of which the Yangcai Arm Golden Turtle is the most widely distributed, and the number is relatively large.
Because of the strange morphology and bright colors of this genus, it is favored by insect lovers, which has triggered the indiscriminate hunting of illegal elements in the field, resulting in a great threat to the survival of the population, and the number has dropped sharply.
"This beetle is found in dense jungles with a good ecological environment, and its appearance can be seen as a sign that the natural environment is properly protected." Zhao Li said that in contrast to the body shape, the body shape of the Gecai Arm Golden Turtle is smaller than that of the Yangcai Arm Golden Turtle. The general body length of the Yangcai Arm Golden Turtle can reach 7 cm, while the body length of the Gecai Arm Golden Turtle is only more than 5 cm.
In addition, the pattern difference between the two backs is the most obvious, the yangcai arm golden turtle has brown spots on the back, or only one orange spot above the back, and the entire elytra of the golden turtle has orange spots. Its elytra wings seem to be draped in a hard armor, and its body occasionally flashes cold light.
Zhao Li said that insects have exoskeletons, which can protect the organs in the body, and the exoskeletons of beetles are very hard.
The reporter observed that the front feet of the Gecai arm golden turtle were very long, like curved branches, exceeding the length of the body, and if it was straightened, it was estimated to be nearly 10 centimeters.
Why does the Gecai Arm Golden Turtle have "big legs"?
Zhao Li analyzed that this is mainly related to courtship, females often hide in deep tree holes, and males will use their long front feet to reach into the tree holes to pry the females. As soon as the female climbs out of the tree hole, she will immediately hold the female with these long front feet to facilitate mating. However, the excessively long front feet also limit their mobility to a certain extent, and when they encounter danger, they will pretend to be dead to avoid predators. (Li Di, reporter Sheng Li)
Editor-in-Charge: Zhan Jing