Save the Date! Beetle BioBlitz in 2018

This article was originally published in The Midden – Great Basin National Park: Vol. 17, No. 2 , Winter 2017.

A long-horned beetle is one of the many denizens of the park.

NPS Photo by G. Baker

The next BioBlitz is scheduled for June 12-14, 2018, and will focus on beetles (Coleoptera).

Join us for our tenth annual BioBlitz! We started with beetles in our first BioBlitz, and we’re going to return to them during a different part of the year to see what else lives in the park. Nevada State Entomologist Jeff Knight, along with other experts, will help guide citizen scientists during this fun, science-filled three-day event. We’ll be looking for beetles day and night. This event is timed to coincide with the new moon so light traps will be even more effective. There is no cost to attend the BioBlitz. The Beetle BioBlitz will support learning about biodiversity in our national parks and include beetle walks, talks, art, and other activities.

Did you know:

• Over 300,000 species of beetles are known to exist. This is about 40% of all known insect species.

• Ladybird beetles (ladybugs) are a type of beetle that help to control pest populations by feeding on aphids that would otherwise eat vegetable plants.

• Dung beetles are very important in many ecosystems because they feed on animal droppings. They recycle waste material and speed up the circulation of nutrients back into the food chain.

• Humans eat more beetles than any other kind of insect. There are over 300 species known to be eaten, with most of these eaten at the larvae stage.

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