Friday Beetle Blogging: Pill Beetle

byrrhid4

Cytilus alternatus, Pennsylvania

This lovely little round insect is called a pill beetle.  Why is that, you ask?

Check this out:

byrrhid6

byrrhid5

Retractile legs!

photo details: Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens on a Canon EOS 20D

ISO 100, f/13, 1/250 sec, twin flash diffused through tracing paper

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What a neat little guy. And all this time I thought that they were called pill beetles because of their bad attitudes! You know, "Don't be such a....never mind.

Clay

Hey, I didn't know that is why they are called "pill beetles". Interesting! I wonder if the beetle I photographed in Nicaragua last month was a pill beetle too. Its legs fit nicely in its underside as well.