Monday 8 June 2015

Beautiful Beetle

I struggle to get too enthusiastic about beetles but some are nevertheless irresistible. This is Cassida rubiginosa - Thistle Tortoise Beetle. It likes creeping thistle, of which the banking above the road at Cullaloe has an abundance. Nice colour matching, but I spotted it as an unusual bump on the leaf where it was sitting. Not many records for Fife and it's not that common in Scotland, getting less so the further north you travel.


3 comments:

  1. A cool looking beetle. What's not to get enthusiastic about? ;)

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  2. Have you seen the larvae yet? They carry a faecal shield/parasol on their rear end - I guess that's somewhere between interesting and disgusting.

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    Replies
    1. Believe it or not I only just saw this comment! I did find the larva later, which should also be around somewhere

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