Ooooohhh! Shiny!
This Jewel beetle was scurrying along the wet wood at a new construction site. I was stunned by the iridescent exoskeleton of her body.
These beetles will lay their eggs in or on a host tree, often in cracks in the bark or at the base of the plant...or at the site of new construction.
As I watched, she began to release her eggs. She was using an ovipositor to deposit eggs, which could be laid singly or in clusters. Once the larvae hatch they would bore into the wood and feed on the inner layers as they develop.
Ooooohhh! Shiny!
This Jewel beetle was scurrying along the wet wood at a new construction site. I was stunned by the iridescent exoskeleton of her body.
These beetles will lay their eggs in or on a host tree, often in cracks in the bark or at the base of the plant...or at the site of new construction.
As I watched, she began to release her eggs. She was using an ovipositor to deposit eggs, which could be laid singly or in clusters. Once the larvae hatch they would bore into the wood and feed on the inner layers as they develop.