FindingSomethingNew
Cabrastakesgreatcarewhenshethinksshe’sfoundsomethingnew.Shesignalstoherteammatestostopmoving.Shedoesn’twantanysuddenmovementstoscareoffabeetle.Thenshetriestotakeaphotographofthescene.“Iusuallytakephotosoftheirfoodplantandhabitat,”shesays.Thisgivesinformationtotaxonomistsaswellasecologistsandconservationists.
Whenthebeetlesfeelvibrationsontreeleaves,theyfalltotheground.Theyareveryhardtofindindead leaves.
teammatesworkingina forest
Manyjewelweevils,forexample,haverangesastinyasonepatchofforest.Theyeatonlycertainplants.Itisvital,then,toconservetheplantifyouhopetoconservethe beetle.
AFullerPicture
There’sanotherreasonwhyCabrastriestorecordthescene:“Forsomeofmycolleagues,thisisthefirsttimethey areseeingthespeciesalive,”shesays.Theyhaveneverseentheirhabitatsorhost plants.
ThisbeetlewouldbecomeimportanttoCabras’research.Shediscoveredanewspeciesthatlooked similar.
Cabrasusesamicroscopetolookatbeetle specimens.
Ifpossible,Cabrasthencollectsabeetleasasamplesothatitcanbelookedatmorecloselyinthelab.“Whenyouareinthelaboratory,it’sthesamething—youhavetophotographthemandexamine theiranatomy,”shesays.Butthebeetlesmaybeassmallas5 millimeters(lessthanaquarterofaninch).Itrequiresalotof patience.
That’snotall.“Italsorequiresspecialskillsandyearsoftrainingtodothelabwork.Youhavetotrainyoureyestolookintothemicroscope,butyoualsohavetotrainyourhands,”Cabrassays.Beetlesmustbedissected,orcutapart,toseetheirinternalstructures.Thatrequiresgoodeyesandsteadyhands.Still,Cabrascan’talwaystrustwhatshe sees.
WeevilWonders
Jewelweevilsaresonamedbecausetheysparklelikegems.Theirelytra,orwingcovers,shimmerwithcolorsfrombrilliantturquoiseandshinygoldtopaleorangeandpink.Thecolorsmakethemeasytargetsforpredatorslikefrogs,lizards,andbirds.Butweevilswanttobeseen.Theircolorsactasawarning:Don’teatme.Itaste bad.
Thisiscalledaposematism.Theanimaladvertisestoitspredatorsthatitisnotwortheating.Aposematismcantaketheformofbrightcolors,sounds,odors,orother characteristics.
Cabrasknewallaboutaposematism,butshedidn’trealizehowmuchitwasgoingtoaffectherweevil research.
Thisleafbeetlelookslikesomejewel weevils.