Black and Orange Beetle
March 31, 2006
Beetles on a seed-head at the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens.
Update: According to my copy of A Field Guide to Insects in Australia, these beetles seem to be 'Seed Bugs', members of the family Lygaeidae. Bugs who feed on seed or plant sap.
Details: Nikon 105mm 1:2.8 macro, ~f/8, 1/200s, ISO 400.
Comments
texas jim wrote, on 7 March 2008, at 1:39PM:
Your picture seems to be of an insect of the true bug family. Beetles have
wing covers that are solid all the way to the tip. True bugs have a half solid and half membranous wing cover (elytra, I think its called). Anyhow, I have seen a very similar bug here in Texas that likes to drink milkweed sap.
Another Texas wrote, on 4 June 2008, at 3:55PM:
Texas Jim is right...these bugs like milk weed and unfortunately I had some milk weed grow unnoticed at the edge of my vegetable garden. I guess they decided tomatoes make a good desert....they are on a feeding frenzy, also another smaller orange bug with black legs. Any tips on how to rid myself of them organicallly?
Ali wrote, on 30 June 2008, at 7:37AM:
Hi ! your pictures are very nice !
I com from IRAN/TEHRAN ... & I ALWAYS SEE YOUR PICTURES ... HAVE A NICE DAY & BYE !