[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

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.

Re: Jewel Beetles, Hah

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

Oh, I know it's a different kind of beetle, but I have the tendency to view any shiny green beetle as a 'June bug'. Unless it is shield-shaped, in which case it is a 'stink bug', whether it actually makes a stink or not.

How big are your jewel beetles? Its legs don't look sturdy enough to tie a string around. Our true June bugs from Tennessee were about 3 - 4" long, clumsy & heavy-bodied. If one was flying along & hit you in the forehead it would leave a mark.

Re: Jewel Beetles, Hah

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

No these guys are teeny, about the size of my little fingernail. Some of them are a bit bigger; and I'm sure in the Queensland rainforests they get some giants... but yeah. :)

And wow, bugs that big? AWESOME!!!! :D

Re: Big Bugs

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

Most people probably don't even pay attention to your garden jewels - you seem to have a knack for finding small beautiful things :D

We do get some enormous bugs here in the states. Walking stick bugs, praying mantis, June bugs, tarantulas... but I think you Aussies have us beat in the enormous terrifying insect category - you've got the 'bird-eating spider'

Re: Big Bugs

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have always liked the little things. I can spend a very long time laying on the grass watching ants...