Beetle on St John's wort

[MacroLuv]

Beetle on Hypericum perforatum. The genus name "hypericum" is derived from the Greek words hyper (above) and eikon (picture) in reference to the traditional use of the plant to ward off evil, by hanging plants over a picture in the house during St John's day. The species name "perforatum" refers to the small windows in the leaves, which can be seen when they are held against the light. Do not know much about beetle.



Camera model Olympus SP-320
Date/time 20.06.2006/12:38:20
Exposure time 1/640 s
F-number f/3.5
ISO 64
Focal length 8 mm

[beetleman]

You just keep on finding these beautiful creatures to take pictures of Nikola. Wonderful job Interesting folklore on the flowers, thank you.

[Ken Ramos]

I remember some years back, people went nuts over this thing because they thought it could cure depression, how depressing that was. Anything haveing to do with St. Johnswort, people bought it up hoping that it would be the answer to all their problems and that every morning would be filled with sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows

Beautiful image there Nikola However I would be cautious of insects on anti-depressants.

[MacroLuv]

... people bought it up hoping that it would be the answer to all their problems and that every morning would be filled with sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows

Well, I prefer ale.
Besides, St John's Wort Infused Oil is great for massage. Massage itself is beneficial.
St John's Wort Infused Oil recipe:
1 cup
unopened yellow St John's wort buds and tiny cut fresh leaves

2 cups
light olive oil

1/2 tsp
lavendar essential oil, optional

Place the unwashed flower buds and leaves in a glass jar
Cover with olive oil and set in full sun
Allow to steep for at least 1 month, shaking the jar occasionally to ensure buds are covered in oil
When oil is deep red and smells of raspberry jam, strain through a piece of fine cotton cloth (men's handkerchief, old sheet, or piece of muslin), squeezing to extract as much oil as possible
Add lavendar oil, if desired
Store in covered glass jars or mix with beeswax for a salve
Apply directly to the skin for nervous tissue damage, bruises, sore muscles, inflammation, burns, including sunburn, ulcers and sores.

[rjlittlefield]

A beautiful picture, and that recipe has a lot of promise!

I think you have a "checkered beetle", family Cleridae, perhaps Trichodes nutalli or similar. According to "How to Know the Insects":

Most adults and larvae are predaceous on other insects, especially wood-inhabiting beetles such as bark beetles (Scolytidae). Many clerids occur on flower and foliage.

Google turns up some more info, but it's a bit spotty. I found one good reference at http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/Cleridae.html . It adds that

The larvae of Trichodes are predators and/or parasites of grasshoppers or bees and wasps (where they feed on pollen and/or invertebrate contents of nest cells).

--Rik

[MacroLuv]

Thanks Rik, I can see similaritaty...