Wow! Just before we started the hike yesterday, this guy landed on my arm. And thanks to finding an old fifteen spotted lady bug several years ago, I knew just what it was! I find that pretty amazing in itself. And no one else there had seen one before, so I got to look really smart (smug grin). Most of us call them lady bugs, but of course they are really beetles, Coleoptera.
Anatis labiculata. Here's the side view.
As they age, the backs of the wings get darker and darker until they are nearly black with no spots showing. That's what the first one I found was like.
It didn't want to be anywhere except on my skin, for some reason. We had quite a time getting it off and onto a natural surface so we could leave. That seemed pretty strange.
I believe these are a native lady bug (beetle), but I did notice that strange smell, like the Asian lady beetles have, on my hands afterwards. Not as strong, but definitely there.
In other news, the weather was gorgeous today! And the sky was wonderful. I know, sky pictures are a dime a dozen, but I enjoyed it.
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2 comments:
We have a lot of the Asian beetles around here. Introduced, I believe, to control pests in the farm fields. They don't eat humans, but they aren't too smart. For that reason, they have to take a taste anyway.
Ive never seen one that looked like that before.
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