-
Male Giraffe Weevil on leaf - sideview -
Male Giraffe Beetle Macro -
The giraffe weevil - Trachelophorus giraffa -
Giraffe Weevil reaching for the top -
Male Giraffe Beetle neck macro -
Female Giraffe Beetle side view -
Giraffe Weevil -
Neck first -
Giraffe Beetle balancing act -
Natures strange creatures -
Female Giraffe beetle in Ranomafana -
Female Giraffe Beetle frontal view -
Cliffhanger -
Male Giraffe Beetle sheltering -
All those necks are for this -
Giraffe Weevil full shot in Ranomafana -
Male Giraffe Beetle frontal -
A long way down -
Giraffe weevil in break-neck position
Giraffe weevil
Trachelophorus giraffa
The giraffe weevil is a weevil endemic to Madagascar. It derives its name from an extended neck much like that of the common giraffe. The giraffe weevil is sexually dimorphic, with the neck of the male typically being 2 to 3 times the length of that of the female. Most of the body is black with distinctive red elytra covering the flying wings. The total body length of the males is just under an inch , among the longest for any attelabid species. The extended neck is an adaptation that assists in nest building and fighting . When it comes time to breed, the mother-to-be will roll and secure a leaf of the host plant, ''Dichaetanthera cordifolia'' and ''Dichaetanthera arborea'' , and then lay a single egg within the tube. She will then snip the roll from the remaining leaf in preparation of the egg hatching.
