page_title: Pericoptus truncatus
section_title: Parasites
hierarchical_section_title: Pericoptus truncatus / Threats / Parasites
caption_attribution_description: English: pericoptus truncatus scarab beetle and bird marks in sand
context_page_description: Pericoptus truncatus is a large sand scarab beetle. It is native to New Zealand and is found on beaches throughout New Zealand. Its Māori name is ngungutawa.
  The adult spends the daylight hours buried in the sand, emerging at night to fly noisily around in search of mates and food. It leaves obvious trails in the sand when walking around. The female lays eggs deep in the sand and the large white grubs can often be found under driftwood, though they feed on roots of dune plants.
context_section_description: At certain times of the month Pericoptus truncatus larvae have been observed immersing themselves in the saltwater saturated sand at the low tide zone for a period & then returning to the sand dunes. This behaviour was mostly conducted under the safety of night-time. It has been suggested that this may be the larvae's effort to remove themselves of parasites.
caption: scarab beetle and bird marks in sand
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