Posts Tagged: rain beetles

Ever Seen a Rain Beetle?

Ever seen a rain beetle?  During these winter rainstorms, keep your eye out for the rain beetle, genus Pleocoma, family Pleocomidae. You may see them before sunrise or just after sunset. The males can fly only a couple of hours...

Rain beetles collected in the Shenandoah Valley of Plymouth, Amador County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Rain beetles collected in the Shenandoah Valley of Plymouth, Amador County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The rain beetle: females are flightless, while males can fly only a couple of hours before they die. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The rain beetle: females are flightless, while males can fly only a couple of hours before they die. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Rain Beetles Are Curious Critters

Ah, rain! It's good for the drought and it's good for the rain beetles. If you've never seen a rain beetle (genus Pleocoma) no worries. Most people haven't, either. You have to be in the right place at the right time, which amounts to being in a fall...

This rain beetle, thought to be Pleocoma fimbriata, was collected in Plymouth, Amador County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This rain beetle, thought to be Pleocoma fimbriata, was collected in Plymouth, Amador County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A beetle, thought to be Pleocoma fimbriata,walks on a leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A beetle, thought to be Pleocoma fimbriata,walks on a leaf. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Rain beetles are large and shiny. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Rain beetles are large and shiny. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A collection of rain beetles, thought to be Pleocoma fimbriata, from Plymouth, Amador County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A collection of rain beetles, thought to be Pleocoma fimbriata, from Plymouth, Amador County. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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