[Picspam] Jewel Beetles; it's definitely Spring! :)

[moonvoice]

For once, Spring is on time. In previous years, the jewel beetles have either been coming two weeks early / two weeks late. And two years ago, they were an entire month early, signalling a premature end to Winter, and the start of sunnier things to come.

I can't believe our garden already has jewel beetles! I am so happy. These photos came from our own garden! Whee!

It's not iridescence if your legs aren't iridescent too.







Acacias are weird and awesome. I love how each flower is essentially a little puffball of pollen. But I love them even more just before they've started flowering, when they look like some kind of mutant piece of corn.



Jewel beetles tend to react with mad hiding when a camera lens comes close to them. Fortunately, like many skinks, they are damned slow moving. This one was backing away. So I got a head shot.

Comments

Jewel Beetles, Hah

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

Oh, hunny, them ain't jewel beetles, them are June bugs. Y'all catch us one & ah'll tie a twine on its laig & fly it laik a kite! ;D

Them are some purty bugs, tho, ain't they?

Re: Jewel Beetles, Hah

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

We don't have most of the June bug species here. Same family, different genus and species. There are thousands of them. Here they're known as Christmas or jewel beetles, depending on when they come out.

[myrrhmade.livejournal.com]

I love bugs!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Me too! *bounce*

[jet-ski.livejournal.com]

so pretty!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yay! Beetles + acacia = just showing off.

[halfapersona.livejournal.com]

These were taken in our garden?! That's so awesome! I love them all. *coos to little jewel beetles*

^_^

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Heh, you can go out and coo them right now if you like. They're sleeping on our little Acacias. :)

[tsukikokoro.livejournal.com]

Beautiful :) Also AHHH Attack of the mutant corn!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Hehhe, that mutant corn is gonna getchoo!

[silverjackal.livejournal.com]

I particularly like the angle and how the iridescence flashes off the legs in the second photo. We have a related species here that seems to be a bit larger )(?) difficult to tell since I can't really gauge the scale, but the body of the beetle is heavier, so I'm guessing they're a bit longer as well) and a darker bronze toned green, but also nice and iridescent. Yours are shinier, however, and the flowers are fascinating as well. :)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yeah, these jewel beetles are the size of my little fingernail, and I have thin fingers. So quite small. :D

[darakat-ewr.livejournal.com]

Jewel beetles rock

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

They so do. :D

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

Macro settings FTW!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[aleia-kali.livejournal.com]

Lovely photos :)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[bewylderbeast.livejournal.com]

I love these beetles. x

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Me too. :)

[azhure.livejournal.com]

Gah, they're gorgeous! Come to my garden, beetles of shininess!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I wonder if there's a jewel beetle fairy or something, depositing them around the place. :D

[starla80.livejournal.com]

Beautiful! :)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

The beetles did all the work!

[sidheblessed.livejournal.com]

For bugs, they are cute!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

They definitely are. :)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_graywolf_/]

Gorgeous photos!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[gishkishenh.livejournal.com]

Jewel beetles... nature's natural teenage "Oh god don’t' take a picture of me I look hideous" girl.
But in truth, they are SO PRETTY!
I like the idea of one slowly backing away.. something very comical about that. XD

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of one slowly backing away.. something very comical about that.

It was awesome. It was like it suddenly developed an entire personality in that moment.

[narumi.livejournal.com]

AMAZING! look at that irradesance! :O

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I totally heart iridescence.

[earthguardian.livejournal.com]

I've never seen a bug like this before!! I think if I see more insects like this - all shiny and pretty! - i'd like them a lot more!!! :D

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Heh, yeah, this definitely helps. But then you get Christmas spiders here and they still creep me the hell out.

[light-ftw.livejournal.com]

Orange and photographed bugs and high quality photos. Some of the things that usually make me brighten up. <3

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Aw, yay! :D

[singingnettle.livejournal.com]

Terrific photos, Pia!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[vanirpriestess.livejournal.com]

ZOMG SHINY.

I love the iridescence.

I had no idea acacia looks like mutant corn. Yay!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Young acacia blossoms, before they asplode into pollen-palooza, definitely does. It's awesome. :D

[shimmerhawk.livejournal.com]

Beautiful! It's nice to be reminded that not all bugs are scary and awful looking. ;)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

They definitely aren't. I forgot that people might be scared of bugs, so I'm sorry if this scared you!

[misfitmonkey.livejournal.com]

What beautiful shots! What are you shooting with? I just bought a Canon Digital Rebel XSi this year and have been obsessed with nature/outdoor photography. :)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I used a Canon EOS 300D, it's awesome. :)