Beetles

Among insects, ladybirds or coccinellids enjoy people’s affection in every country: they feed on such harmful insects as aphids and, in general, are very beneficial to agriculture. The many popular names for these insects show how well known they are.

Their name goes back to the Middle Ages, when they were placed under the protection of the Virgin Mary and called “beetles of Our Lady”; in Italy they are known as “Our Lady’s little hens”, in Germany as “God’s little sheep”, in England as “Our Lady’s birds” and in Spain as mariquitas. All the adults lie dormant through the winter: they can be found buried under dry scrub or in the cracks of holm oaks, piled one on top of another in great numbers in their winter shelters.

Myrrha octodecimguttata

A beetle of the coccinellid family, like the ladybirds. In this part of the Els Ports region it is very rarely seen; in fact, this was the first time I had seen and photographed it.

Lachnaia tristigma

Commonly known as the six-spot beetle. It belongs to the family Chrysomelidae; it is not like the ladybirds, although its colours make it look so.

Exosoma lusitanicum

The last day we went out into the countryside, many yellow flowers had a specimen sipping nectar, its coppery colour standing out strongly against them.

Acmaeodera degener

Also called the fourteen-spot beetle, it is very showy and little appreciated, as it feeds on the wood of oaks and holm oaks. It stands out strongly among flowers of various colours.