Chlaenius sp. ground beetle, Urbana, Illinois
This colorful beetle came from our back yard. It's a ground beetle in the genus Chlaenius, recognizeable from its pubescent elytra and pungent defensive secretions. Like most ground beetles, Chlaenius makes a living as a predator.
The beetle's metallic sheen is not the result of a pigment but of fine microscopic sculpturing on the integument. This is evident when the insect is viewed at a different aspect: notice how the color turns to green in lateral view:
The same beetle, in sideview.
photo details: Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens on a Canon EOS 50D
ISO 200, f/13, 1/80 sec, indirect strobe in a white box
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Beautiful photo with no glare from the flash. Subtly striking.
Oho! A multilayer reflector, very nice. Now you've got to get your hands on one of those loxandrines with diffraction gratings. :)
Wow! Great shots. That second profile view is stunning... Fascinating detail on the color change, too.
Beautiful animal!