Something strangely Strangalia

July 15, 2019  •  Leave a Comment

For the past month, just about every trip outside has offered an adventure in beetle-finding. It really doesn't matter what kind of flower I explore: all of them seem to have a coleopteran or two... or three... or more... on patrol. This is especially true of my hydrangea grove, but as I combed the day and other lilies, I discovered that there was no lack of the family known as the Cerambycidae, or, easier to pronounce, the Long-horned Beetles. Of course, the "horns" on these insects are actually antennae, but no one could be taken to task for seeing a bit of Texas in southeastern Connecticut. What's especially fun about the cerambycids is that they're a non-stop learning curve when it comes to identification. This one, according to the coleopteran Bible—Beetles of Eastern North America, by Arthur V. Evans—appears to be Strangalia luteicornis, one of the many members of the Long-horned Flower Beetles. It's quite striking, common, and, if I were younger and had a better memory, unforgettable. With any luck, maybe I can achieve "unforgettable" status, but I'm not holding out hope. At least I still remember where to look.


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