Watercolor and Ink
16 x 20 inches
2021-2024
This is a painting of two mushrooms emerging from a biological substrate with a “Pleasing Fungus Beetle” flying into the scene.
This piece was created using the decalcomania method. See Decalcomania.
Cypherotylus californicus is the species name for the “blue pleasing fungus beetle”. This species is not from Oregon (it’s from the Rocky Mountain states), but it looks good with the colors in the composition, and it feeds on fungi. Though not pictured here, their larvae are even more visually impressive. Adults feed on pollen, nectar, and bracket fungi (conk mushrooms) that grow out of dead or dying tree trunks and logs.
The strange bright blue color of this beetle species is a mystery. For one, blue is a rare color in the animal world. Secondly, bright colors draw attention, a dangerous move for a small animal that could easily fall prey to birds and other predators. Usually, bright colors in a small animal are warning colors: the animal is either poisonous or venomous. But there is no evidence that this species presents any dangers. There are some brightly-colored harmless bugs that mimic more dangerous bugs, resulting in predators avoiding them. There are no bright blue dangerous bugs in this beetle’s habitat. So, the adaptive significance (evolution) of the coloration of this beetle species remains a mystery.