Death Valley June beetle

The Death Valley June beetle (Polyphylla erratica) is a scarab beetle in the subfamily Melolonthinae. It is only known to occur in the drainage basin of the Amargosa River in the southwestern United States.[1] Saltgrass communities, such as those at Saratoga Springs in Death Valley, provide habitat for the insect at all stages of its life.[2]

Death Valley June beetle
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Coleoptera
Family:
Scarabaeidae
Subfamily:
Melolonthinae
Genus:
Polyphylla
Species:
P. erratica
Binomial name
Polyphylla erratica
(Hardy and Andrews, 1978)

Predators of the beetle include coyotes, ravens, and shrikes, the last of which are known to impale the insects on vegetation.[2]

The Death Valley June beetle does not carry any official conservation status, but is listed as a Species of Concern by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.[3] The California Department of Fish and Game considers the beetle a "Special Animal" of high conservation need.[4]

References
  1. "Death Valley geology field trip: Saratoga and Valley Springs". USGS/NPS. Archived from the original on 23 October 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  2. A. La Rue, Delbert (March–June 1998). "Notes on Polyphylla Harris with a description of a new species. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)". Insecta Mundi. 12 (1 & 2): 22–37. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  3. "Species Profile for Death Valley june beetle (Polyphylla erratica)". FWS. Retrieved 17 April 2011.
  4. "California Natural Diversity Database: SPECIAL ANIMALS (898 taxa)" (PDF). CDFG. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2011.


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