Beetles ~ ‘Batocera rufomaculata’

How many trees are there around your house ? – and what do you see in them ??  .. . .. .. what I could zoom into see left me wonder-struck ! are you in a position to observe something in the 2^nd photo of the tree ?  - உங்கள் வீட்டருகே மரங்கள் உள்ளனவா ?  - இதோ இங்கே ஒரு அரச மரம் ! பச்சைப்பசேலென அடர்ந்த இலைகளை உடையது !  .. .. இன்று காலை மரத்தை கேமரா கண்களுடன் நோக்கியபோது !! 

The 1986 K Balachander film starring Kamal was a musical hit .. .. Kamal donned dual role of which one was Chaplin Chellappa and he rode a Beetle ! The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, informally in German der Käfer (meaning "beetle"), in parts of the English-speaking world the Bug,  and known by many other nicknames in other languages—is a two-door, rear-engine economy car, intended for five occupants  that was manufactured and marketed by German automaker Volkswagen (VW) from 1938 until 2003. 

No post on automobile but on insects !  .. .. Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera, in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 described species, is the largest of all orders, constituting almost 40% of described insects and 25% of all known animal life-forms; new species are discovered frequently, with estimates suggesting that there are between 0.9 to 2.1 million total species. Found in almost every habitat except the sea and the polar regions, they interact with their ecosystems in several ways: beetles often feed on plants and fungi, break down animal and plant debris, and eat other invertebrates. Some species are serious agricultural pests  that damage crops. 

Beetles typically have a particularly hard exoskeleton including the elytra, though some such as the rove beetles have very short elytra while blister beetles have softer elytra. The general anatomy of a beetle is quite uniform and typical of insects, although there are several examples of novelty, such as adaptations in water beetles which trap air bubbles under the elytra for use while diving. Beetles are endopterygotes, which means that they undergo complete metamorphosis, with a series of conspicuous and relatively abrupt changes in body structure between hatching and becoming adult after a relatively immobile pupal stage. 

Beetles are prominent in human culture, from the sacred scarabs of ancient Egypt to beetlewing art and use as pets or fighting insects for entertainment and gambling. Many beetle groups are brightly and attractively coloured making them objects of collection and decorative displays. Over 300 species are used as food, mostly as larvae; species widely consumed include mealworms and rhinoceros beetle larvae. However, the major impact of beetles on human life is as agricultural, forestry, and horticultural pests.   

A web search indicated that the one featured here is ‘Batocera rufomaculata’ -  a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was described by Charles De Geer in 1775. It is known from China, Israel, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Laos, Mauritius, Malaysia, Madagascar, Myanmar, Puerto Rico, Pakistan, Réunion, Syria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Barbados, Bangladesh and the Virgin Islands. It feeds off of Ficus carica, Carica papaya, Mangifera indica, and Shorea robusta.  

Some photos of the tree and close-up view of the beetle are seen here.  Before concluding - The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music's recognition as an art form.  Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways; the band later explored music styles ranging from ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock.   

Interesting !

 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
27.9.2022.