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 !
lee wrote, on 2 October 2008, at 1:50AM:
Hi, I saw a similar insect in my garden today but the abdomen was black with orange stripes. Did this insect have those stripes by any chance? I've spent hours googling but can't find anything.