Featured Article Quiz #239
Huhu beetle
#1 Where are huhu beetle larvae found and what do they feed mainly on?
In dead tree wood, feeding mainly on gymnosperms like rimu and Monterey pine
In living trees, feeding mainly on flowering plants like grass and clover
In freshwater ponds, feeding mainly on algae and small aquatic insects
#2 Which statement about adult huhu beetles is correct?
They are active at night and strongly attracted to light, and they cannot eat
They are active only in the daytime and are repelled by light, and they can eat wood
They live for several years as adults and feed mainly on pollen
#3 What did a 2023 shotgun genomic sequencing study conclude about Prionoplus within Rhipidocerini?
Prionoplus belongs to the Rhipidocerini tribe and is the earliest split among the sequenced species
Prionoplus belongs to a different beetle tribe and is the most recent split among the sequenced species
Prionoplus is not part of Rhipidocerini and is unrelated to the Australian species studied