Betsy Devine: Funny ha-ha and/or funny peculiar

Can beer-drinking lead to foolish romantic choices?

Hah! You think you’ve got stories to tell? They are dwarfed by the tragic tale of the Australian male buprestid beetles.

Imagine you’re a shiny male beetle flying over the plains of western Australia with nothing more on your mind than finding a female to mate with and pass on your shiny genes. All at once you see the hugest, most beautiful female you’ve ever laid eyes on. Big females are the best to mate with because they carry the most eggs (more bang for your bang). Sounds like a dream come true, right? Well, if you happen to be the jewel beetle Julodimorpha bakewelli, you’ve probably been deceived. That gorgeous curvy body belongs to a beer bottle not a beetle….[more shocking details follow]

Thanks to Amity Wilczek for her blog Nature is Profligate and also, just a bit, for being my daughter.