At this time of year we've been aware of a lot of activity by orange/red beetles on flower heads of cow parsley, hogweed and ragwort when out walking the dog.
The beetle is known as the common soldier beetle Rhagonycha fulva and is only seen in it’s adult form at this time of year.
It’s rare to see this beetle on it’s own as in this photo
More often they are seen as mating pairs, earning them the nickname of 'bonking beetles'.
So here they are, having fun....
And again....
And again....
And again....
And they seem to manage to eat at the same time....
well she does (eats)
ReplyDeleteWe get those chaps here too! It looks like you’ll be seeing many more of them soon!
ReplyDeleteBertie
Doesn't seem very romantic, does it?
ReplyDeleteVery practical way of arranging things - though I wouldn't want one on a Valentine card.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. I'm fascinated by these beetles and there are so many of them. I'm not aware of them at any other time of year. Must do some research into what the larvae look like.
ReplyDeleteThe Lily beetles in my garden are often doing the same thing. The ability to multitask must be why some beetles are so numerous :-)
ReplyDeleteThey must be short lived.....
ReplyDeleteMultitasking extraordinaire!
ReplyDeleteFabulous photos Janet, and thank you, you have solved a mystery for me, I think I saw one of these when I was out and about the other day. They certainly know how to have a good time!
ReplyDeleteJust one, Janet? it must have been very lonely....
ReplyDelete