Gold Ladybugs!
I'm really glad I finally got some half-decent pictures ofthese guys. I've been seeing them in my yard every year.
Gold, like a piece of jewelry! And here's the really weird
part: They change from totally metallic reflective outsides
into iridescent semi-transparent outsides. I once caught one
and brought it into my house to photograph it, and I watched
it change. Inside the outer armor they are red-and-black
ladybug (or "Ladybird beetle") color.
Sorry so many are blurry, I was in a hurry. Some of these pix
show them mating! Woo Woo! Oh, and they're on mint leaves.
One pic has the end of my thumb in it for scale.
Mystery of entomology? Please enlighten me.
[First Page]