Death Valley June beetle

Death Valley June beetle
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Melolonthinae
Genus: Polyphylla
Species: P. erratica
Binomial name
Polyphylla erratica
(Hardy and Andrews, 1978)

The Death Valley June beetle (Polyphylla erratica) is a scarab beetle in the subfamily Melolonthinae. It is only known to occur in the drainage basin of the Amargosa River in the southwestern United States.[1] Saltgrass communities, such as those at Saratoga Springs in Death Valley, provide habitat for the insect at all stages of its life.[2]

Predators of the beetle include coyotes, ravens, and shrikes, the last of which are known to impale the insects on vegetation.[2]

The Death Valley June beetle does not carry any official conservation status, but is listed as a Species of Concern by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.[3] The California Department of Fish and Game considers the beetle a "Special Animal" of high conservation need.[4]

References