Rainbow Scarab stuck on barbwire

Thanks lauren. That's the first time I found a Rainbow Scarab, too bad there wasn't a male with the big horn there too:-)

That is so beautiful Dan! A female Dung Beetle. That bird had good taste…. literally and figuratively!

I just added a picture of the top side of the beetle that I pulled off the barb wire.

That's so cool! Out this way I know people who see hatchling horned lizards stuck to barbed wire. And I've seen photos of it too. Would much rather see an invertebrate, but as long as the bird comes back to eat it I can't complain too much about the lizards :)

Lauren, once I get to the bug photos I took, I'll post a picture of this scarab.

Thanks Ashley and kd. There were 3 beetles stuck on the barb wire in a 10 meter stretch. I collected 2 of them to photograph, and I was amazed at how precisely the shrike skewered the beetles. It took a little effort to get the beetles off the wire and the hole in the beetle was perfect.

Amazing! Such Dinosaurian behavior. What did the other side of the beetle look like?

Great shot! I've seen Butcherbirds & other species in Australia stick their prey on barbed wire, sometimes to help tear it apart & other times to store it for later. Looks like the spider has helped itself to a meal as there's web around the beetle as well.

So cool, I always look for stuff like this when I'm in areas with shrikes but I haven't seen anything yet!