Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: red milkweed beetle

HAH! I finally got a view of this beetle's back! Isn't it pretty? If you can believe it, this beetle's carapace appears perfectly smooth with the naked eye, but with a macro lens, it looks like it's covered with velvet! AMAZING!!! By the way, the two small eyes you see on its head are called ocelli, and are a second pair of simple eyes which detect light and movement. Not all beetles possess these extra eyes, but did you know that spiders have 4 pairs of ocelli, and do not have compound eyes like most insects? If you would like to know more about ocelli, wiki has a great page here! Wikipedia: Ocelli

What a gorgeous little beetle! I had to laugh because it was playing the game of "Hide Behind the Stem" with me...as I moved around to get a side or back view, it would move around the stem to put the stem between us. I'd try one direction, and then I'd try the other direction...what a dance it was! I think anyone who could have seen me would have died laughing! :D

2 more views in notes above! :) I can't tell you how often it happens that I leave the house with a clear idea of what I plan to take a picture of and I get distracted along the way by something totally different! This morning I was planning to see if I could capture Sweet Pea tendrils...but half-way across our smaller meadow, I spotted something red on a stem and had to stop and take a closer look. At that point I forgot all about the tendrils and I lost myself behind the lens! Can you blame me?!! WOW!! Check this gorgeous beetle out! It's called a Red Milkweed Beetle, and is a type of Longhorn beetle. Polly Jean Harvey MBE (born 9 October 1969) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, composer and occasional artist. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments including piano, organ, bass, saxophone, harmonica, and most recently, the autoharp. P. J. Harvey Explored on June 26, 2013. Highest position, page 2.