Sunday 15 March 2015

Stolas mannerheimi

Image: Udo Schmidt
Stolas mannerheimi
This beautiful creature is a thumbnail-sized Tortoise Beetle from Peru. They walk about on plants and when they get worried or frightened, they knuckle down, grab firm hold of the leafy surface beneath their feet and take full advantage of their wide, shield-shaped armour.

They don't appear to have a common name but come on, just look at it! Isn't this the Kiss Me, I'm Irish Beetle if ever you saw one?

4 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

kiss me, i'm irish made me laugh. :)

Lee said...

ditto on the kiss me comment. Seriously, these are beautiful! I want one for a pet!

Unknown said...

I love those iridescent beetles. Even fossils of them are shiny!

Joseph JG said...

@TexWisGirl: :D

@Lee: You could probably have a whole sparkly colony of them!

@Jacob Littlejohn: Wow! Amazing isn't it?