Four Beetles From Summer

Red-headed Cardinal Beetle, Pyrochroa serraticornis.  Downe Bank, 14 June 2013.

Here are a few beetles I saw during the year that I don't think I have posted before.  Nothing unusual, but they do look good.  This one is called a Cardinal Beetle because its colour reminded someone of the scarlet dress of a cardinal of the Catholic church.  It's called Red-headed because it has a relative with a black head, known, of course, as a Black-headed Cardinal Beetle.

Black-headed Cardinal Beetle, Pyrochroa coccinea.  Hayes Common, 19 June 2013.

I only had my little Ixus 100 with me when I saw that one, so the depth of field is not so good.  Its close focusing is rather erratic, so I was happy to get this shot.

Orchid Beetle, Dascillus cervinus.  Orchid Bank at High Elms Country Park, 27 June 2013.

This one is more brown, with a hint of muted olive green.  I see it in places where there are lots of orchids, but not actually on orchids, thugh it is supposed to spend most of its time on flowers.

It's covered with short hairs, which helps to show that if you think of beetles as smooth and shiny, you are often mistaken.  At this magnification, the hairs on the plant leaf are also much more apparent than they normally are to the naked eye.

Click Beetle, Denticollis linearis.  Downe Bank, 14 June 2013.

This is one of several click beetles.  When disturbed, they can use those points at the back corner of the thorax to click against the front of their abdomen.  This can make them leap into the air, a good and surprising tactic to escape unwelcome attention.

That's all the beetles for now ...