With its brilliant purple elytra (the shell that covers the flight wings) ...

April 17, 2020

With its brilliant purple elytra (the shell that covers the flight wings), this beetle almost looks like something you'd find in the tropics, but you can find them right out in the woods in southwest Virginia! According to Virginia Museum of Natural History Research Associate and Professional Beetle Expert Curt Harden, this fellow is Dicaelus purpuratus. It's active from the spring through the fall, and it likes to hide in leaf litter and under logs. These beetles are snail-eaters, and it's probably no coincidence that on the same day I found two of these beetles, I found a couple of empty snail shells not far away. #BenInNature

About this post: Social distancing can be difficult, but the next few weeks present a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. While he is working from home, Administrator of Science Ben Williams is venturing outdoors each day to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world.

This post brought to you by VMNH Supporters Linda and Roscoe Reynolds.