Yes, I know it is December and that Christmas is nearly upon us but I have been trying not to post about it. However, today I found this gorgeous Christmas Beetle and had to share!
Then I had to spoil it all by doing something stupid like an internet search.
It isn't even a Christmas beetle which are metallic gold.
This is likely a Lamprima Aurata - a golden stag beetle.
That also explains the antlers which only the males have.
It looks pretty christmassy to me.
.............
I haven't seen one this year, can it be all the rain?
ReplyDeleteHi Rose. From my research on the Net, a certain amount of rain is necessary. They pupate under the soil and if it is too dry they can't dig out. So our 10 year drought here hasn't been much help to them. Maybe you have had just TOO much rain where you are. Keep looking.
ReplyDeleteHe'd make a lovely brooch I think! Beautiful colours and detail!
ReplyDeletePsychedelic colours :) I think he's a beauty!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid we used to get clouds of these, never see them now.So sad.
ReplyDeleteI think it is beautiful. The children found one at the local High School grounds last weekend, amongst the bark...it was golden in colour and quite large...I had never seen one before..they wanted to bring it home, but we left it in its gum leaf and bark home...
ReplyDeletethose pics are lovely , thanks for sharing...as for the C word, around here it stands for children first, christmas second...lol.....
Beautiful picture!
ReplyDeletethat is one gorgeous beetle! Thanks for visiting my blog too - here's a link to my redcurrant jelly recipe you asked for http://margoandjerry.blogspot.com/2010/12/its-redcurrant-season-again.html. If you can't steam juice the redcurrants bung them in a pan with 400ml of water for every kilo and simmer until soft then drain overnight through muslin to get all the liquid. Don't squeeze the bag though or the jelly will go cloudy. then follow the recipe above
ReplyDeleteI love your beetle, and Christmas one or not, it deserved a post of its own! I have my work party this afternoon, am so excited, lots of people and lots of inappropriate behaviour will take place.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling very jolly :)
ps your word verification is asking me to type "rutfart". It feels very rude.
Thanks for the red currant jelly link Margo...I will make a note of it in the hope my bush produces next year.
ReplyDeleteAli, I can't believe how alike we are. I have been making a not of word verifications to write about...some of them sound like real words but I haven't had 'rutfart'!
Fabulous photos Hazel, of a spectacular beast.
ReplyDeleteRe "rutfart" - sounds like the German word "rundfahrt" which means "round trip" or return journey.