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- May 2, 2009
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Anyone remember watching that Nature series, Alien Empire? I was thinking of that show just now and I remembered these goldish-brown beetles, all males, in Australia that were attracted to the amber-brown beer bottles because they looked like very large females. I did a search out of curiosity. I guess there was a study going back 20 years ago.
Once Julodimorpha bakewelli males found a bottle, they tried copulating with it and didn't stop unless one of the people studying them placed them away from the bottles. Even marauding ants couldn't chase off the males. The researchers think that males select the largest females because those would be the ones to produce a lot of eggs.
I'm wondering if Australia still circulates those brown beer bottles.
Once Julodimorpha bakewelli males found a bottle, they tried copulating with it and didn't stop unless one of the people studying them placed them away from the bottles. Even marauding ants couldn't chase off the males. The researchers think that males select the largest females because those would be the ones to produce a lot of eggs.
I'm wondering if Australia still circulates those brown beer bottles.