Beetles

Rove Beetle - Staphylinidae: genus Plochionocerus, from Monteverde, Costa Rica.

The remarkable wing covers of this tiny beetle resemble an intricate wood carving - however, I was surprised to learn that this subfamily is generally considered to be a poop mimic. (Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae, genus Octotoma, from Monteverde, Costa Rica)

Leaf beetles, family Chrysomelidae. (Monteverde, Costa Rica)

Goofy-looking yet dignified weevil (Curculionidae) from Monteverde, Costa Rica.

Mating pair of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae: Calligrapha sp.) from Costa Rica.

Northern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica barberi, on thistle flower in Iowa.

Flower longhorn beetle, Lepturopsis biforis, on thistle (Wisconsin, USA).

A Red-flue Checkered Beetle, Trichodes nuttalli, feeds on a wild sunflower (Wisconsin, USA).

Common Claybank Tiger Beetle, Cicindela limbalis (Wisconsin, USA).

Balsam Fir Sawyer, Monochamus marmorator (Wisconsin, USA).

A Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil, Polydrusus formosus, nibbles on a leaf in Wisconsin.

A well-camouflaged Sawyer longhorn beetle (Cerambycidae: genus Monochamus) blends into a tree trunk in Wisconsin, USA.

This very convincing wasp mimic is actually a Sugar Maple Borer, Glycobius speciosus, a rare longhorn beetle from Wisconsin. The name "speciosus" comes from the Latin "specios," meaning showy or beautiful.

Metallic wood-boring beetle, Buprestidae: genus Agrilus (Iowa, USA).

A Sugar Maple Borer, Glycobius speciosus, drinks rainwater off a leaf (Wisconsin, USA).

Fiery Searcher, Calosoma scrutator (Iowa, USA).

Twelve-spotted or Pink Spotted Lady Beetle, Coleomegilla maculata lengi (Iowa, USA).

Leaf beetle - Chrysomelidae: genus Neolema, possibly N. sexpunctata, from Belize.

Longhorn beetle, family Cerambycidae, from Iowa, USA.

Longhorn beetle, genus Taeniotes, from Belize. Longhorn beetles, family Cerambycidae, are so named for the pronounced length of their antennae, which are frequently longer than the body of the insect itself.

Firefly, Phaenolis (Lampyridae: Lampyrinae: Pleotomini) from Belize.

Leaf Beetle, Chrysomelidae (Belize).

Balsam Fir Sawyer, Monochamus marmorator (Wisconsin, USA).

Locust Borer, Megacyllene robiniae (Iowa, USA). The yellow banding on this wasp-mimicking longhorn beetle provides excellent camouflage against blooming Goldenrod (genus Solidago), where adults regularly feed on pollen after emerging from Black Locust trees in late summer.

Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle, Labidomera clivicollis, feeding on milkweed (Iowa, USA).

A hoverfly (family Syrphidae) and a Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata) chow down on pollen together (Iowa, USA).

Oak Timberworm beetle, Arrhenodes minutus, at my light last night (Iowa, USA). Unlike the highly speciose "true" weevils, family Curculionidae (with 2,900+ species in North America alone and 50,000+ worldwide), the straight-snouted weevils (Brentidae, pictured) contain a modest 150 species in the states and 4,000 in total.

Silvanid beetle, family Silvanidae, possibly Telephanus atricapillus (Iowa, USA).