beetles

CRAZY TALK

ON THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF CRANKVENT... BEETLE UP

Another thing you tend to find a lot of around Christmas time (in Australia, and apart from cherries) is the Christmas beetle. Yayyy beetles! These cute beetles beetle around the east coast of New South Wales and Victoria around this time of year, being all glossy and iridescent and adorable. It is a crime they have not been elevated to some kind of official Christmas-mascot status. Why not use them to decorate your tree this year? Live decorations are so hot right now. Save a giant one for the top! (It even already has wings).

The Christmas Beetle of the family Scarabaeidae, so named because it appears during December and January. It is often found "swarming on gum saplings"—see, they are natural tree decorations! Their larvae are white grubs and would probably …

The Christmas Beetle of the family Scarabaeidae, so named because it appears during December and January. It is often found "swarming on gum saplings"—see, they are natural tree decorations! Their larvae are white grubs and would probably be quite a tasty alternative to the Christmas ham. (Image stolen from The Australian National Botanic Gardens website)

The Giant (or "King") Christmas Beetle, Anoplognathus viridiaeneus. Common in bushland around Sydney and the north coast of New South Wales. Fancies eucalypts. "Where one is found you can be certain there will be others on the same tr…

The Giant (or "King") Christmas Beetle, Anoplognathus viridiaeneus. Common in bushland around Sydney and the north coast of New South Wales. Fancies eucalypts. "Where one is found you can be certain there will be others on the same tree". Not ominous at all! Image from same source as above.