Like most insects, the jewel beetles only purpose in life is to breed.
Several Australian jewel beetles trying to mate with a beer bottle.
Looking around, the researchers found more stubbies, and each one was mounted upon by several males.
The males had their genitalia everted as they attempted to mate with the bottle.
The behavior perplexed Gwynne and Rentz, and so they conducted a brief experiment at the site.
They found four empty stubbies and placed them on the ground.
They wanted to see if the bottles would attract beetles.
Sure enough, within half an hour, two of the bottles had attracted a total of six males.
What was drawing the beetles to the empty stubbies?
Also the bottles were long dry.
Biologists call this “an evolutionary trap.”
As a consequence, they either succumb to exhaustion or become vulnerable to predation.
A male Australian jewel beetle attempts to make love with a beer bottle.
Credit: Darryl Gwynne
Likewise, the Australian jewel beetles exhibit a similar effect.
Mistaking beer bottles for females can have detrimental consequences for male beetles.
Thankfully, Australian beer companies have changed the design on their beer bottles.
It no longer has the little bumps that has been confusing the beetles.
