Saturday, December 1, 2012

Beetles

Happy Summer!

While out walking today I passed through several clouds of flying insects. From a distance they looked like swarming bees, but they weren't:
Each cloud was associated with a flowering tree, but different trees each time. If I zoom in on that photo, you can see that the insects are beetles, and definitely interested in the flowers:

And here's a closer view of one, courtesy of someone who was able to snatch one out of the air as it flew past:
A plague soldier beetle (Chauliognathus lugubris), seeming to live up to its name more than the last time I had one on my blog.

3 comments:

Leonie said...

Wow! They sure are handsome little fellers. Pity they are such a pest. Great photos.

kaiteM said...

Yes my gum trees are covered with them also. If not that one then something like it.

Vireya said...

They aren't really pests, as they eat aphids and other insects as well as nectar. So handy to have in the garden.