Polyphylla barbata
Encyclopedia
Polyphylla barbata is a rare species of beetle
known by the common name Mount Hermon June beetle. It is endemic to California
, where it occurs only in Santa Cruz County
. There is only a single occurrence of the beetle on a stretch of territory of under 1500 acres (6.1 km²). This is a federally listed endangered species
of the United States.
The beetle is about 2 centimeters long, black and brown in color with broken white longitudinal stripes on the back. The elytra are covered in a thin coat of hairs. The female is slightly larger than the male. The female spends most of her time underground, coming out only to mate with the male. The male flies between mid-June and late July, being most active between 8:45 and 9:30 pm. His wings make a crackling sound as he flies. The insect is an underground dwelling larva
for most of its life cycle
, and the adults may not feed at all. The larvae probably feed on plant roots and mycorrhiza
l fungi. The life cycle may be 2 to 3 years, but the male beetle's adulthood may last only a week and the female probably dies shortly after laying eggs.
This beetle was first described in 1938 from a specimen from Mount Hermon, California
. It is limited to the Zayante sandhills, a region around Mount Hermon, Scotts Valley
, and Ben Lomond
in the Santa Cruz Mountains
. This region is also home to another endangered arthropod, the Zayante band-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis infantilis).
The habitat is ponderosa pine
forest and chaparral
with open, sandy areas forming pockets in the surrounding volcanic hills. There are several rare, threatened plant species in the area, including the Ben Lomond wallflower
(Erysimum teretifolium), the Ben Lomond spineflower
(Chorizanthe pungens ssp. hartwegiana), and the Santa Cruz cypress
(Callitropsis abramsiana).
Over 40% of the Zayante sandhills region has been lost to human activity such as development and sand mining
. Most of the home range of the beetle is in proximity to active sand mining operations. Fire suppression has led to an alteration of the normal flora of the area, with fire-tolerant plants being replaced by other species.
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
known by the common name Mount Hermon June beetle. It is endemic to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it occurs only in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
. There is only a single occurrence of the beetle on a stretch of territory of under 1500 acres (6.1 km²). This is a federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
The beetle is about 2 centimeters long, black and brown in color with broken white longitudinal stripes on the back. The elytra are covered in a thin coat of hairs. The female is slightly larger than the male. The female spends most of her time underground, coming out only to mate with the male. The male flies between mid-June and late July, being most active between 8:45 and 9:30 pm. His wings make a crackling sound as he flies. The insect is an underground dwelling larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
for most of its life cycle
Life cycle
Life cycle or lifecycle may refer to: * Biological life cycle* Enterprise life cycle* Life cycle assessment* New product development* Product lifecycle , various meanings* Project life cycle...
, and the adults may not feed at all. The larvae probably feed on plant roots and mycorrhiza
Mycorrhiza
A mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a fungus and the roots of a vascular plant....
l fungi. The life cycle may be 2 to 3 years, but the male beetle's adulthood may last only a week and the female probably dies shortly after laying eggs.
This beetle was first described in 1938 from a specimen from Mount Hermon, California
Mount Hermon, California
Mount Hermon is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California. Mount Hermon is home to extensive conference facilities that include rope courses and rock climbing walls.-History:...
. It is limited to the Zayante sandhills, a region around Mount Hermon, Scotts Valley
Scotts Valley, California
Scotts Valley is a small city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, about thirty miles south of downtown San Jose and six miles north of Monterey Bay, in the upland slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,580...
, and Ben Lomond
Ben Lomond, California
Ben Lomond is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, and also the name of the mountain to the west. The population was 6,234 at the 2010 census.-History:...
in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
. This region is also home to another endangered arthropod, the Zayante band-winged grasshopper (Trimerotropis infantilis).
The habitat is ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
forest and chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
with open, sandy areas forming pockets in the surrounding volcanic hills. There are several rare, threatened plant species in the area, including the Ben Lomond wallflower
Erysimum teretifolium
Erysimum teretifolium is a species of wallflower known by the common names Santa Cruz wallflower and Ben Lomond wallflower. It is a very rare plant endemic to Santa Cruz County, California, where it grows on inland sand spits, chaparral, and sandstone deposits in the southern Santa Cruz Mountains...
(Erysimum teretifolium), the Ben Lomond spineflower
Chorizanthe pungens
Chorizanthe pungens is a species of flowering plant in the buckwheat family known by the common name Monterey spineflower. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the San Francisco Bay Area south along the Central Coast.-Description:...
(Chorizanthe pungens ssp. hartwegiana), and the Santa Cruz cypress
Cupressus abramsiana
Cupressus abramsiana is a cypress taxon of disputed status, placed in either the genus Cupressus or else Callitropsis...
(Callitropsis abramsiana).
Over 40% of the Zayante sandhills region has been lost to human activity such as development and sand mining
Sand mining
Sand mining is a practice that is becoming an environmental issue as the demand for sand increases in industry and construction. Sand is mined from beaches and inland dunes and dredged from ocean beds and river beds. It is often used in manufacturing as an abrasive, for example, and it is used to...
. Most of the home range of the beetle is in proximity to active sand mining operations. Fire suppression has led to an alteration of the normal flora of the area, with fire-tolerant plants being replaced by other species.