“Truly one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.”
On one of his property’s lawns in Costa Rica, Michael Farmer noticed something that he couldn’t quite believe.
A small metal object that appeared to be on the leaves of a guava tree was glistening in the sunlight like a piece of polished chrome. But then it started to creep.
It was a living thing, after all.
It turned out that Farmer had just discovered Chrysina limbata, one of the most unusual beetles in the world, which is distinguished by its silvery, reflective shell.
Farmer saw it for himself and was astounded.
She stopped crawling and pretended to be dead as Farmer picked up the insect, giving him a better look.
Farmer told The Dodo, “I was shocked by how gorgeous everything looked. It is unlike anything “[I]’ve ever seen.”
The farmer took these pictures of the bug, which appeared almost too lovely to be true.
It was similar to a mirror. Perfect reflection in the beetle, he declared. One of the most gorgeous things I’ve ever seen, in my opinion.
Later, the farmer discovered that these bugs are actually fairly uncommon. The species has been severely impacted by habitat degradation as well as from being caught and sold to collectors, despite earlier being more frequently found in the area.
The insect Farmer discovered that day avoided that tragic outcome.
Farmer declared, “I don’t believe in selling live things like that. I reattached it to the tree, and it took off in a flash.
But the memory has stuck with him.
Farmer had never seen a beetle like that before, but he hopes it won’t be the last.
I’m not a big fan of insects, he admitted. “However, I’m still in awe of it. I am forward to see more.
I have got pictures of the same beetle taken in the garden of my old house in Abergele, North Wales 🏴 UK.
Beautiful so much better than the black beetles we have in the UK
I saw a similar beetle 🪲 only it was dark green the other day in East Sussex