Opal bug!
It’s probably 55 years since I used to collect these bugs from cotton trees in Caloundra during our annual holidays. No doubt, these Hibiscus Harlequin beetles or their progeny are quite happy that I gave up my collecting habits.
As a photographer of little note and having seen great shots by others, I have been searching without avail for some time to grab some of the little bugs, they are so pretty. Obviously, I have been searching the wrong trees. Just recently, having attacked the muddy shores of the Wynnum Wetlands Reserve in the hope of getting some shots of wading birds, which by the way seem to have already departed for the return trip to Siberia, I stumbled across a lone Cotton Tree. And it was home to a lovely group of Harlequin Beetles.
Wow, I was over the moon and with the ideal lens, my 150-500. NOT! Luckily, prepared that day with multiple lenses and cameras, I slushed back to the car and my wife who for some strange reason had decided not to accompany me on the walk, trek, slush to swap to the 105 macro lens. Nevertheless, even with a more appropriate lens the shadows were in and it was blowing a gale! Not ideal conditions. And that mud!
But I had the scent. These beetles have all the beautiful colour of a prize winning Aussie opal, lots of red in the blue. And the red even forms what appears to be a false face. So here at last my gem of a beetle with orange friend. I don’t know if the orange ones are also harlequins, the opposite sex or just a different species that likes the same environment. I was lucky enough also to shoot some babies en masse and the orange ones, with eggs. I will post these in due course.
Opal bug!
It’s probably 55 years since I used to collect these bugs from cotton trees in Caloundra during our annual holidays. No doubt, these Hibiscus Harlequin beetles or their progeny are quite happy that I gave up my collecting habits.
As a photographer of little note and having seen great shots by others, I have been searching without avail for some time to grab some of the little bugs, they are so pretty. Obviously, I have been searching the wrong trees. Just recently, having attacked the muddy shores of the Wynnum Wetlands Reserve in the hope of getting some shots of wading birds, which by the way seem to have already departed for the return trip to Siberia, I stumbled across a lone Cotton Tree. And it was home to a lovely group of Harlequin Beetles.
Wow, I was over the moon and with the ideal lens, my 150-500. NOT! Luckily, prepared that day with multiple lenses and cameras, I slushed back to the car and my wife who for some strange reason had decided not to accompany me on the walk, trek, slush to swap to the 105 macro lens. Nevertheless, even with a more appropriate lens the shadows were in and it was blowing a gale! Not ideal conditions. And that mud!
But I had the scent. These beetles have all the beautiful colour of a prize winning Aussie opal, lots of red in the blue. And the red even forms what appears to be a false face. So here at last my gem of a beetle with orange friend. I don’t know if the orange ones are also harlequins, the opposite sex or just a different species that likes the same environment. I was lucky enough also to shoot some babies en masse and the orange ones, with eggs. I will post these in due course.