Java SOA Cookbook

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The animal on the cover of Java SOA Cookbook is a harlequin longhorn beetle (Macrodontia cervicornis). Ranging from Mexico to South America, harlequin longhorn beetles are one of the world’s longest beetles. They belong to the long-horned beetle family, Cerambycidae. There are various members of this family, with over 20,000 species, slightly more than half from the Eastern Hemisphere. This beautiful beetle is a popular pet for Amazon children.

They are characterized by extremely long antennae and legs, which are often as long as or longer than their bodies. A male’s forelegs can measure nearly 3 inches. The beetle itself can be as long as 8 inches—bigger than a man’s hand! In addition to serving as a sexual enticement to females, the long legs help the males fly and crawl from branch to branch. Despite their conspicuous colors, they are able to hide themselves effectively among the lichen- and fungus-covered trunks of tropical woods such as fig trees.

Harlequin beetles are active during the day but can be attracted to lights at night. Females prefer to lay their eggs on trunks and logs with bracket fungus, which provides excellent camouflage. Before laying, the female gnaws an incision about 0.8 inch wide and 0.3 inch deep in the bark. She will lay 15 to 20 eggs over the course of two to three days. When the larvae hatch, they bore into the wood. When they mature at seven to eight months, the 5-inch larvae tunnel further, where they dig a cell in which to mature. The adult ...