This exquisite beetle with its stripy metallic coat was found in our herb garden. Despite its name I didn't find it on the rosemary bush, but on the nearby lemon balm (
Melissa officinalis), though I did find one later on the rosemary (
Rosmarinus officinalis). It has clearly got a liking for aromatic plants. It is a flightless beetle that is common in southern Europe, but it has only been found in the UK since 1994, though it has quickly spread throughout the country (without flying!). Both the adult beetle and its larvae feed on rosemary as well as other plants in the Lamiaceae (mint) family. That probably explains why the rosemary bush has a large dead patch in the middle.
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Rosemary Beetle - Chrysolina americana
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| Rosemary Beetle - Chrysolina americana |
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| Rosemary Beetle - Chrysolina americana |
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