Polk County’s Most Wanted – Gnorimella maculosa
Have you seen a species of Flower Scarab Beetle known as Gnorimella maculosa?
Conserving Carolina and botanist/ecologist David Campbell need your help in locating this month’s “Polk County’s Most Wanted—Animal,” a species of Flower Scarab Beetle known as Gnorimella maculosa. Polk County’s Most Wanted is a community science initiative with a new challenge each month, in which you can expand the scientific understanding of the flora and fauna of Polk County.
Where should I look for Gnorimella maculosa?
Distributed widely throughout eastern North America, Gnorimella maculosa is considered to be an uncommon to rare species. However, this perceived rarity may be due to a lack of observers or possible sampling biases. Active in the spring, this species should be sought in or adjacent to mature woodlands with many large hardwoods and an abundance of flowering shrubs such as Dogwood, Viburnum, and Raspberry. The larvae complete development inside of tree holes making this species an obligate saproxylic species (a species that requires dead or dying wood to complete its development).
Recorded sporadically in the piedmont and mountains of North Carolina, Gnorimella maculosa has been observed in mature Beech woods in the Town of Columbus in Polk County but it likely occurs elsewhere throughout our region. Sunny and warm days with minimum of wind are ideal conditions to find this beetle.
How do I identify Gnorimella maculosa?
At approximately three-quarters of an inch in length and with a variable coloration ranging from almost black/gray to an orangish-yellow (and covered with whitish dots known as muculations), this is one of our more attractive scarab beetles. A majority of the body is also covered with varying densities of brownish to rufous colored hairs, making this an excellent pollinator of numerous native plants. When actively foraging on pollen (a favorite food item), this beetle can resemble a bumble bee, thereby affording it some protection from avian predators.
What can you do?
If you think that you have seen Gnorimella maculosa in Polk County, please contact Pam Torlina at Conserving Carolina by email at [email protected], and if you can, provide a clear photo for a definitive confirmation.
For More Information
Visit Conserving Carolina’s website, conservingcarolina.org/polk-most-wanted, for more information about “Polk County’s Most Wanted” and to download and print a “Pocket Guide” with all of the “Most Wanted” plants, animals, and habitats that you can be on the lookout for!
Also, a culmination of David Campbell’s seven years in the field documenting the rare and significant flora and fauna in Polk County have been compiled in a book titled, “An Inventory of the Significant Natural Areas of Polk County, North Carolina.” The document can be downloaded for free on Conserving Carolina’s website at conservingcarolina.org/polk-county-inventory, or a hard copy can be purchased, at cost, on Amazon.
Conserving Carolina, your local land trust, is dedicated to protecting land and water, promoting good stewardship, and creating opportunities for people to enjoy nature. Learn more and become a member at conservingcarolina.org.