Ecology
Chrysolopus spectabilis feeds almost exclusively on particular species of Acacia, including the Cootamundra wattle Acacia baileyana, the silver wattle Acacia dealbata, the Australian blackwood Acacia melanoxylon and the golden wattle Acacia longifolia. The beetles choose young plants, around 50–150 cm (20–59 in) tall, before they have flowered. They use the long snout and powerful mouthparts to make holes in the stem and leaves, in order to reach the sap and to build egg chambers.
In south-eastern Australia, C. spectabilis can be a pest of acacia plantations. Adults can destroy new shoots, and the larvae can limit the plant's water uptake. The adults can even cause a tree to die through ring barking. Despite its garish colours, C. spectabilis is not poisonous. It is very alert, and if it senses danger, will either fall to the ground and play dead, or hold fast to the plant with its legs.
Read more about this topic: Chrysolopus Spectabilis
Famous quotes containing the word ecology:
“... the fundamental principles of ecology govern our lives wherever we live, and ... we must wake up to this fact or be lost.”
—Karin Sheldon (b. c. 1945)