Red-tipped Flower Beetle

Description:

The Red-tipped Flower Beetle is a malachite green beetle with two red patches at the tip of the elytra. The forehead is yellow. It has one red patch on each fore angle of the pronotum. It shows a first antennal article which is cylindrical-shaped. When threatened, it can exude a right pouch on each side and emit a bad smell to repulse the potential predators. The male's abdomen slightly exceed the elytra in length. It has pale brown flanges on the first articles of the antennae. They are used to emit sex-pheromones. The female's abdomen clearly exceeds the elytra in length. Adults feed on pollen, larvae and small insects. Females lay their eggs in crevices of dead wood. Larvae feed on other larvae of xylophagous insects.

Habitat:

Brambles in a Holm oak forest

Notes:

Camera Model: NIKON D300. Exposure Time: 1/60 sec. f/33 ISO Speed Rating: 200. Focal Length: 90.0 mm.