There once was a beetle named Bill
who found pollen to be quite a thrill.
But the petals appealed,
so he sat for a meal
and proceeded to eat to his fill.
Nice details of the beetle and pollen in that first picture. And how about those trident antennae?
Aren’t they something? I found a bright green metallic beetle recently that was outfitted with the same sort of antennae, so I’m going to see if the folks over at BugGuide confirm my hunch that it’s also Strigoderma.
Speaking of lagniappe, I found the green metallic beetle on a basket-flower. They finally showed up, and I found accessible stands of them south of town at an abandoned HL&P generating plant.
And we were surprised to see basket-flowers in ditches along some highways in New Mexico as we headed south for home. While some of the plants up there had gone to seed, others still had fresh flower heads. I suspect the ones in central Texas are long gone.
Hahaha….loved this!xxx
There are times when nature is so improbable, so unexpected, that the only thing to do is laugh. Of course, the fishermen under the Colorado River bridge laughed, too, when they asked what I was doing and I told them I was watching a beetle eat a poppy.
Fabulous images of this beetle, Linda! I love the humour in your rhyme :) He certainly left the blossom in tatters, Bill after his fill! :)
They eat faster than I ever imagined they could, too. I knew that caterpillars can work fast, but these flower beetles are something else. I don’t find them often, but it’s always a treat when I do.
It’s a wonder you have any flowers left! :)
A rather sloppy eater, but he would definitely spread pollen around!
I wonder if flower beetles consider those half-eaten petals as “leftovers,” and come back to them later? Or do they see a flower-filled ditch as a buffet, and just keep moving on down the line, sampling as they go? Inquiring minds want to know! (I’ll bet someone has studied it.)
I also keep wondering about things like that. There is always so much going on that we don’t understand.
Haha! That last picture was a very funny surprise. “After the Banquet” Up to that point, it looked like the Holi festival in India. :)
Or the Holi festival in Houston — sponsored by Masala Radio and held at –where else? Houston Farm and Ranch. There are more Indians here than you might think, some beautiful Hindu temples, and lots of great festivals and food.
Friend beetle certainly did in the flower, didn’t he? It occurred to me that if you eat the dinnerware, you’ve eliminated one task.
Like eating your food off of flat bread and then eating the flatbread, good idea, no washing up
The best in the world is Ethiopian injera. I would drive some distance to get that.
I’ve had it, in Milwaukee of all places, and enjoyed it, even though sourdoughs aren’t my favorite. I love naan. And in the winter my sister makes a pretty amazing black bread
Great photos, Linda, and the cute poem accompanies them perfectly!
Thanks, GP. There’s no reason not to have a little fun from time to time!
There are posts I love to the max — and this is one of them!
When you love something to the max, Jeanie, that’s a high compliment. I’m really glad this one tickled you.
Human or insect, if you find a luscious meal, by George you take the opportunity to sample everything that is available. The photo and detail of the beetle are excellent.
That’s my philosophy, Yvonne. Good food is one of the pleasures of life — for everyone, I’d think, including this fellow. Glad you enjoyed the photos. This is a perfect example of why I started this blog. It might have been some time before I could fit a flower-eating beetle into a post at The Task At Hand, but he fits in here just fine.
By the way, tomorrow begins Pollinator Week. I’ve never known there was such a thing, but I’m going to be posting butterflies, bees, and who-knows-what, if not daily, pretty close. Since they’re your favorites, I thought I’d mention it.
I’ll be looking and commenting for sure.
Photos and text equals a smile to the reader.
Now, that’s the kind of equation I understand. Thanks, Tina!
I am still thinking KD! That was a cute story :) Maybe more to come?
More stories, yes — but not with this fellow. You’ve seen nearly all the photos I have of him, now. But there are other handsome and interesting critters lurking around, and some lovely flowers, so we’ll not run out for a while.
I looking forward to the other critters!
I’ve been writing limericks this year, too. A friend challenged his facebook friends to write either a haiku or a limerick as their birthday greeting for him. I took on the limerick and have since written several of varying quality. It’s a good way to use my brain a little differently. At least I amuse myself! :)
That’s quite a challenge your friend offered, but a good one. Limericks are wonderful fun, and there’s not a thing in the world wrong with amusing ourselves. I think they limber up the brain, too: maybe even more than haiku. I find myself thinking more with haiku. Limericks generally just pop up, and even if I start with only a line or two, I usually can finish one up in my head. If it just doesn’t work? No harm done, and I toss it away.
That tagline from the old Alka Seltzer commercial came to me as I was looking at that last photo, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFKifpMtlNs
It’s been years since I’ve seen that one. Of course i had to do a little bouncing from one to another. I still love the sound of the Maxwell House coffee perking. If they’d bring back that ad, I’ll bet they’d sell more coffee.
Cute! I will have to read this to the kids and add some sound effects. :)
I’d love to hear that. Bee and bird sound effects are easy, but I’m not sure I’ve ever heard beetle sound effects. Of course, you could add the sound of him pushing back from the table, or chomping through the petal. You’ll come up with something. I have full confidence in story-teller you!
A limerick — I love it! Very clever, and Bill looks like he’s enjoying his feast!!
I know you’re fond of limericks, Debbie. I’m glad you enjoyed this one, although I suppose we’ll never know whether Bill got stuck with the bill.
You are very clever! And it doesn’t hurt that the photos are excellent, does it?
I’m growing rather more fond of beetles than I ever thought possible. Of course, the cute little antennae on this genus are special. They make me think of the Tele-Tubbies, and laugh.
You are really capturing some amazing scenes and creatures. (Nothing like an open ended story to poke the brain…”And then a flap of wings and a gulp – gone” ? )
I’m enjoying my macro lens more than I ever imagined possible. It’s like having a window into unexpected — and sometimes quite dramatic — little worlds. One nice thing about beetles is that they’re usually busy with some project, and are easier to photograph. Bumblebees are a little slower, too, but butterflies, dragonflies, and just plain old flies? All of that flying around is hard to catch.