Scarabaeidae: When you’re hungry, eat a “house”!

In the forest, on a green leaf, an insect is busy. It first firmly grasps the leaf with its sharp claws, then skillfully pulls the leaf together and quickly folds it into a small shelter that can protect against wind and rain as well as sun. This is the "simple house" of the "architect" Scarabaeus sāi. In this warm and comfortable space, the scarabaeus' abdomen and back are close to the leaf, as if integrated with nature.

There is no shortage of "architects" in the insect world. For example, insects of the order Gnathophoridae use silk threads to cleverly tighten leaves to form a curved space and build a tent that is both ventilated and safe. The larvae of the family Lepidoptera use silk and local materials to make a sleeping bag. When they are moving and eating, they stick their heads out, and at other times they hang their tents or sleeping bags on the grass leaves or stand them up. The homes of these insects, whether fixed tents or mobile sleeping bags, reflect their attention to environmental adaptation and safety.

Compared with the tents of rodents and the sleeping bags of larvae of moths, the simple houses of scarab beetles appear more casual. They use local materials and even their own bodies become part of the room.

When the afterglow of the setting sun filled the forest, I came to the simple house of the scarab beetle again, but found that the house had "disappeared" and only the main leaf vein was left as the raw material for building the house. As I was surprised, I observed that the scarab beetle, with brown hair on its head and chest, was actually holding the main leaf vein and gently shaking its gill-like tentacles. After a while, it quickly climbed to one end of the leaf vein and started eating. No wonder it looks so round and smooth, and even its own house can be enjoyed as a delicacy.

After a full meal, the scarab beetle seemed particularly satisfied and lazy, and began its daily grooming ritual: first, it gently wiped its tentacles with its front paws, and then slowly spread them out, like two "upturned braids" carefully tied by a little girl, elegant and agile, swaying in the wind. The tentacles not only add to the beauty of the scarab beetle, but are also an important organ for it to explore the world. It can keenly sense the smell and vibration in the air, allowing the scarab beetle to move around in nature with ease.

The survival philosophy of the scarab beetle is to adapt to any situation. When tired, it builds a simple house to rest. When hungry, it gets up and eats, and then looks for a suitable leaf to rebuild a new home. This simple and happy way of survival also reflects the life wisdom in the animal world.

(The author Liu Haichun is a member of the China Science Writers Association)