Dogwood Calligrapha
On June 8, 2015, Sam and I were walking out back and found that the dogwood blossoms were covered with numerous beetles. Including these attractive gold-and-dark-green beetles with script-like markings on their wing covers.
These are definitely Calligrapha beetles. And, since we found them on dogwood, the odds are good that they are Dogwood Calligrapha beetles, Calligrapha philadelphica
The underside is very dark green, almost black.
It looks quite a lot like one that we found previously back in 2008, except that that one had slightly different markings and kind of a rusty patina over the gold on the wing covers. I think that one was Calligrapha alni, which feeds on alders (and we have about as many alders growing out back as dogwoods)
So, it looks like we have two species of these pretty beetles around, not just one, and the easiest way to tell them apart is most likely just to look at whether they are on the alders, or the dogwoods.
Comments are closed.
Living jewelry.