Consider-the-Lilies Web Gallery
Dogbane Beetle
One evening while looking over a stand of Milkweed to see what interesting bug I might find feeding on its blossoms, I spotted on the smaller, paler leaves of some nearby Dogbane this little Leaf Beetle shining in the rays of the setting sun.
The brilliant, metallic coloring of Chrysochus auratus (entomological Latin = golden or gilded leaf beetle) really sets it apart from anything else feeding in mid-summer in the Shenandoah Valley.
The iridescent, pleochroic surface is incredibly beautiful, as it changes from a golden-green, to a golden-red, to a golden-blue with just a slight change in one's position.
What was that about "Solomon in all his splendor?"
Like its cousin, the Japanese Beetle, this Leaf Beetle lives up to its name, too, as we can see to the left.
The more omnivorous Japanese Beetle, Popillia japonica, however, doesn't stop at a leaf.
It seems to be set on devouring just about any part of any plant: flower, bud, or fruit, and especially, the grapes and raspberries in my yard! Here it is at work on a marigold from our garden.
So I have a soft spot in my heart for the Dogbane Beetle, because, besides being much prettier than its Asiatic relative, it is on a strict diet of Dogbane leaves.
And, since I'm not really into making bow strings and other cordage from Dogbane or Indian Hemp, as did the Native Americans of bygone days, I don't begrudge this beetle its specialized menu and the few tattered leaves that it leaves behind.
"Take me to your leader!"
Besides, I've noticed that any given plant has only a handful of Chrysochus auratus feeding on it, never enough to strip all the leaves and kill the plant. The economy of God's creation never ceases to amaze me!
Not only does this beetle feed almost exclusively on the bitter leaves and buds of this plant, its entire life cycle is spent on and around its host.
The female deposits the fertilized eggs on the underside of Dogbane leaves, enclosed in a protective mass of fecal material.
Later, the hatching larvae break out, drop to the base of the plant, and burrow into the soil in search of their favorite food, Dogbane roots.
Not a long trip, seemingly; but as one entomologist observed, this is a "fantastic journey for tiny larvae!"
Next season the new generation of beetles begins browsing on the host plant leaves...
I am thankful that "I spotted on the smaller, paler leaves of some nearby Dogbane this little leaf beetle shining in the rays of the setting sun."
These living jewels have blessed and dazzled me with their iridescent beauty—and they don't make a pest of themselves by eating our marigolds.
Good looking and well-behaved, too: What a winning combination!
Not long after these images were taken, these fascinating beetles were no longer to be found.
The Dogbane plant began to recover, as it put out new leaves to see it through end of the year—and the cycle of Grace continued...
(If you'd like to learn more about Dogbane or Indian Hemp, a most curious and historically useful perennial, CLICK on the image above.)
Go to the Main Directory to consider more lilies of the field.