Chlaenius sp. ground beetle, Urbana, Illinois
This colorful beetle came from our back yard. It’s a ground beetle in the genus Chlaenius, recognizeable from its pubescent elytra and pungent defensive secretions. Like most ground beetles, Chlaenius makes a living as a predator.
The beetle’s metallic sheen is not the result of a pigment but of fine microscopic sculpturing on the integument. This is evident when the insect is viewed at a different aspect: notice how the color turns to green in lateral view:
The same beetle, in sideview.
photo details: Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D
ISO 200, f/13, 1/80 sec, indirect strobe in a white box
Beautiful photo with no glare from the flash. Subtly striking.
Oho! A multilayer reflector, very nice. Now you’ve got to get your hands on one of those loxandrines with diffraction gratings.
Wow! Great shots. That second profile view is stunning… Fascinating detail on the color change, too.
Beautiful animal!