The dogbane leaf beetle can be found strolling around and munching on the leaves of dogbane, indian hemp, and milkweed plants.
This insect emerges in early summer and lives for about 6-8 weeks.
They can be found from the Atlantic coast to Texas, and north to Saskatchewan, Canada. (This one was found in the Funk Wilderness Area).
"The dogbane leaf beetle has a special type of color that shines and changes as the insect changes position or we change position looking at it. This changing color is called iridescence. The beetles' iridescence is produced by special body structures and light. The surface of the body parts of this beetle is made up of stacks of tiny, slanting plates, under which is a pigment (substance that produces color). Some light rays reflect from the surface of the plates, and other light rays reflect from the pigment underneath. At different angles, the light reflects at different speeds, causing interference and resulting in our seeing different colors that shine."
Since 2015 we have been exploring and sharing all the amazing things we’ve found in nature.
Emily is an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist who is most often found out in the woods.