I am not sure if it because of the amount of rain we have had, but beetles have been very scarce here this summer so I was surprise to go out for a few hours to the dam and find a nice variety which I had not seen before.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdHiN2I-IyLFCpflnQOVrkU4cNdn_xn5DG9SG5pBa9K73B2-MT_DFv_-CLpbAM7WMMKE-S-cfJtlLotc6YgysLKEpmajNiKJvonQ28EI3jIz2ShSYh8qc5qMsAkUjjQf8cfQV61AGYcKj/s320/1_102_1490.jpg)
I cannot find the name of this beetle but think it might belong to the
Tenebrionidae family (Darkling beetles). What was unusual about it for me was the color.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4kHn88UzYF2y4rXBEaii2qNBb9zVRrvY4yB60ncT6vCKZGfmCITkqIwDHkvE7YWv0qeX90DptDOepe55NBzu5iFYW_Kokj8ztUA4AntS0lIMaE15OGeFalp1MqJlijb2WkzYF41RZVG47/s320/2_102_1509.jpg)
Most plain colored beetles are either black or brown whereas this one was a reddish-orange. It was rather large, over 1 inch. Every time I touched it, it played dead and as soon as I put it down, it would scurry away as fast as its little legs would take it. :)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorQBtdbJK3Sk9ike4gmL6SWPztSBl3Z8fh0WOUhB9mjduecCAdBcLb-V5eHT_n0SsVnm7bI41l5exu9QRzk9R5WMvC-llK5HI64QctDjTRIFUriRVxQml8Scc1ZAbZYQp13mONQsjqTRc/s320/3_102_1483.jpg)
This one was tiny, about 4mm called a Spiny Leaf Beetle (
Dicladispa) belonging to the Chrysomelidae family. The larvae are leaf miners and are well hidden within the leaves.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi754e16BbX9EsJMSag02GiVjpRPacEqXvR8C2OD1Z71ec_BEKK1qsLHsTY01iQ-nDk003dYNLhHdYcVPPFEoJhhrQMmlMbOw6MJuAFyYxcNa1ZAHZDNKIA9oGgJ-9f44BgYSD6xZHmSFKK/s320/4_IMG_17307.JPG)
Can you guess what this is? It is the larvae of the Potato Ladybug (picture below).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ902UX31_rx2GI0ucbaQy8DlMTwSrW1RHHP2YgyOWe_ZUq6GmRjKLJWWVG30vExAA25W39CeTwoN8wZ0ZnL6sblYTzmeEtyjSvQBSUPVFov5YdUwEwt5-nxD4DXe5gsFK4izS78D2s_yq/s320/5_IMG_17365.JPG)
They get their name from the fact that they lay their eggs on potato or tomato plants.
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