Rosemary Beetle

---

Chrysolina americana

This attractive beetle is from a family called Chrysomelidae the leaf beetles. It is a fairly recent newomer to Britain, introduced in the 1990s and now established in most of England and Wales, and still expanding its range. It is considered a pest of Rosemary, Lavender, Sage, Thyme and similar plants, both the adult and the larva feeding on the foliage. It is the first time I have seen it here, and will have to see if it is a ‘pest’ as such. It is 6.7-8 mm long. The adults can be seen throughout the year, even during winter.

---

It kind of doesn’t look real, but looks manufactured from copper or the like.

---

Note the deeply ‘punched’ markings forming rows on the elytra and the sides of the protonum.

---

Like Stained Glass

I have become a little obsessed with my Petunia petals of late. I have been quite taken by their vibrant colours and patterns, and how the light catches them.

---

Rear garden, Staffordshire, England. July 2017.

Catching The Morning Light

Photograph of Pencilled Crane’s-bill (Geranium versicolor), taken October 2016, rear garden, Staffordshire. © Pete Hillman 2016. Camera used Nikon D7200, with Sigma 105mm macro lens.