Thermal Resilience of Eleodes obscura and its mimic, Philolithus elatus

Eleodes obscura dispersa is a common, large darkling beetle found in central and northern new Mexico. Like all Eleodes species, E. obscura can eject irritating chemicals from glands at the rear end of its abdomen. Philolthus elatus infernus is about the same size as E. o. dispersa, and its abdomen is patterned similarly, yet it cannot produce defensive chemicals. To understand how they will react to a changing world, we are comparing the behavior, metabolic rates, temperature sensitivity, and lifespans of the two species. Read more here.

Seasonal Fluctuations in Population and Metabolism

Local beetles live in a highly seasonal environment. Some species emerge early and remain active all summer, others only emerge in the fall. We are using field surveys to better document their seasonal patterns. Now that spring is on the horizon, the first pitfall traps have been set.

We are also exploring how their metabolism changes during the year, including the winter when they are supposed to be hibernating. For comparison, we are also measuring the metabolic rate of a neotropical species that is not expected to be seasonal. Page coming soon.

Re-Wilding a Disturbed Area

At some point before the lab was set up, about 1200 square feet (0.011 ha)of the wild space had been stripped of grasses and was overrun with invasive plants. After removing the dense growth of Kochia and Russian thistle (tumbleweeds), we are working to re-establish native plants.