Friday Beetle Blogging: Dogbane Leaf Beetle

Chrysochus auratus – Dogbane Leaf Beetle
New York

At first glance one might mistake the dogbane leaf beetle for a creature of the tropical jungle, an exotic jewel sought after by the most discerning of collectors.  But no.  It’s a rather common beetle in northeastern North America, where it feeds on plants in the Dogbane family Apocynaceae.  I photographed this one a few years ago on a rainy summer day in upstate New York.

photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon D60
ISO 100, f/13, 1/200 sec, flash diffused through tracing paper