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CHAPTER
FIVE
Beetles and Humans
"Whenever I hear of the capture of
rare beetles,
I feel like an old war-horse at the sound of a trumpet".
Charles Darwin
In
a sense, beetles have dramatically affected the way we view the
world. Even the etymology of the word beetle in many languages
reveals a relationship between humans and insects that was forged
through a combination of antagonism and fear and the ultimate realization
that beetles often compete with us for food and space. The incredible
diversity and overwhelming numbers of beetles are constant reminders
of our subordinate role in nature.
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The diverse colors
and structures of beetles have long fascinated scientists
and amateurs alike. Charles Darwin was an irrepressible
beetle collector in the years leading up to and during the
voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle and it was this passion, in
part, that deflected him from his clerical studies. Horned
scarabs such as these often spark an interest in insects.
Top to bottom:
Golofa pizarro, Mexico
Allomyrhina dichotomus, China
Eupatorius gracilicornis, Malaysia
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A ladybird
beetle, or "lady bug", like this was responsible
for saving the citrus industry in California when it was introduced
to control a scale insect that threatened to destroy one of
the state's great agricultural crops.
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The durability
and color of the beetle exoskeleton has inspried their use in jewelry.
The metallic elytra of this species of buprestid beetle, Euchroma
gigantea, were used in this Amazonian Indian necklace made near
Yanaomo in Loreto Province of Brazil.
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