100 More species #77: Sap bucket beetle

[urbpan]

Sap bucket beetle, diurnal firefly, winter firefly Ellychnia corrusca

I am astonished that I somehow have not documented this species from the yard until today. I just searched my archives to make sure, and it appears that it was 365 urban species #77 but has not yet been part of the yard survey. It's not much of a coincidence that in the 365 project it was also found in March. These are some of the earliest insects found in New England, appearing even on relatively warm winter days. They overwinter as adults in the furrows of tree bark (and here in the cracks of my chicken run) and feed on flower nectar and tree sap. The common name sap bucket beetle comes from its frequent accidental presence in the buckets of maple trees tapped for sugaring.

These are beetles descended from bioluminescent ancestors, but have given up the key characteristic of their family. They fly by day so have no reason to light up at night. Mates are attracted to one another in the more usual insect way, by scent.

I've always had an affection for these soft-shelled, slow-flying beetles. At least once a year I'll grab one out of the air as it lazily flies by. It will crawl about on my hand for minute, trying to figure out what happened, and I'll look at the distinctive red markings on its underside and pronotum. There are about a dozen species of day-flying fireflies in North America, but this one is the largest, and I suspect the most common.