FindingSomethingNew
WhenCabrasthinksshe’sfoundsomethingnew,shestops.Shealsosignalstoherteammatestostop.Shedoesn’twanttoscareoffabeetle.Thenshetakespicturesofthescene.“Iusuallytakephotosoftheirfoodplantandhabitat,”shesays.Thisgivesscientistslikeconservationistsmoreinformationaboutthenew beetle.
Thebeetlesarehardtofindonthe ground.
HerearesomeofCabras' teammates.
Forexample,manyjewelweevilseatonlycertainplants.Toprotectthesebeetles,youalsoneedtoprotecttheplantsthey eat.
Ifshecan,Cabrastakessomebeetlesbacktoherlab.Thatway,otherresearcherscanstudythem,too,andmakenew discoveries.
ThisbeetlebecameimportanttoCabras’research.Shefoundanewspeciesthatlookslike it.
Cabrasusesamicroscopetolookata beetle.
WeevilWonders
Cabrasthinksjewelweevilssparklelikegems.Theirwingsarebrightlycolored.Theyareorangeorblueorredorevengold.Thesecolorsareawarningtopredators.Theymean:Don’teatme!Itastebad.Predatorsknowtostay away.
Thesecolorswouldmeanalottoherresearch.But,Cabrasdidn’tknowitat first.
Thisbeetlehasthecolorsofajewel weevil.