You may think insects are icky and gross right? But they can very be interesting. Just like the carrot beetle as its common name. Its scientific name is Tomarus relictus. It’s a beetle that has two sets of wings. They are found worldwide. The purpose of this essay is to teach the world about Tomarus relictus.

In this paragraph you will learn about you learn about the size and coloration of this bug and its characteristics of the carrot beetle. The carrot beetle can be 11-23 mm. Most carrot beetles are brown or black. Some are bright colors and have patterns. Carrot beetles advantages are sharp fangs to catch prey. An adaptation for Carrot beetles is they cannot see very well, so they communicate using pheromones. The carrot beetle is very advance and can adapt well with their sharp fangs and their pheromones.

In this paragraph you will learn about the population, habitat, and conservation of the carrot beetle.  Carrot beetles are found worldwide except for Antarctica, Iceland, and the ocean. The population is stable for the carrot beetle.  People will collect tons of carrot beetles and put them the habitat they need to be in so they can keep the carrot beetle cycle going. You can find carrot beetles mostly anywhere; they are not close to extinction yet.

In this paragraph you learn about the carrot beetles diet, feeding habitats, and their predators. Carrot beetles role is to decompose dead materials like dead trees. They eat larva and root feeders. Animals that eat carrot beetles are moles, rats, skunks, frogs, toads, and fish, etc. to protect themselves, they usually hide or depend on their hard shell. Lady carrot beetles have toxic chemicals to repel predators. Carrot beetles can be good for our eco system and they have good ways to protect them self’s from predators.

Carrot beetles are not harmful beetles that are good for our ecosystem. They decompose dead trees and other material. What stood out to me was that a female carrot beetle has toxic chemicals to repel predators. My final thoughts of the carrot beetle are that it is just one tiny insect that can do so much.

Author: Kelechi N.
Published: 02/13

Sources: http://www.stevenanz.com/Main_Directory/Plants_Animals/Invertebrates/Insects/Coleoptera/ Polyphaga_Part_1/source/parastasia_1467.htm
http://bugguide.net/node/view/161979
http://bugguide.net/node/view/76063  
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/scarab/

Photo Credit: http://www.forestryimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5364197