A Sunbathing Leaf Beetle

Enjoying the sunshine while on a rhododendron leaf. There are many species of the genus and I’m afraid I don’t have the resources or tools at hand to come up with a definitive ID. It is in fact, A. ambiens. Thanks, Christine.

comments (3)

Christine Young

Lion

Gorgeous beetle, wow! I agree that it could be Altica sp., but I am not sure if Altica palustris would be a good match because, according to Wikipedia, it is a palearctic species. I did an internet search and found 2 species common to BC: Altica probata and Altica ambiens, although there may be others as well. I couldn't find any photos of A. probata, but I did find some of A. ambiens, and it looks like a decent match. Do you know if there were any alder trees in the area? If not, then it's probably a different species. What do you think?

A. ambiens:
https://bugguide.net/node/view/406394 Posted 6 years ago, modified 6 years ago
1. gary fast
  
  Lion
  
  Many, many alder trees, Alnus rubra, in this area. Have to agree with your ID work. Nice job. Posted 6 years ago
2. 1. Christine Young
    
    Lion
    
    Sounds good :) Posted 6 years ago