[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?

[myrrhmade.livejournal.com]

I love bugs!

[jet-ski.livejournal.com]

so pretty!

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.

[halfapersona.livejournal.com]

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

^_^

[tsukikokoro.livejournal.com]

Beautiful :) Also AHHH Attack of the mutant corn!

[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. :)

[darakat-ewr.livejournal.com]

Jewel beetles rock

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

Macro settings FTW!

[aleia-kali.livejournal.com]

Lovely photos :)

[bewylderbeast.livejournal.com]

I love these beetles. x

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

[azhure.livejournal.com]

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

[starla80.livejournal.com]

Beautiful! :)

[sidheblessed.livejournal.com]

For bugs, they are cute!

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

Gorgeous photos!

[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]

Me too! *bounce*

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yay! Beetles + acacia = just showing off.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

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

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Hehhe, that mutant corn is gonna getchoo!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

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

[narumi.livejournal.com]

AMAZING! look at that irradesance! :O

[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