#Jewel beetles

[skydarcyedwards]

Temognatha lessoni, a Jewel Beetle.

Sky Edwards

2024

32 image stack

Canon R7

Canon EF 100mm Macro USM

[bijoumikhawal]

The Middle Eastern Jewel beetle, Steraspis squamosa

This beetle is a member of Buprestidae, the wood boring jewel beetles. It's range includes Egypt, Sudan, Senegal, the Levant, the Maghreb, and Turkey.

This species of beetle bores holes into the tamarisk tree for it's larvae, who emerge as adult beetles. Since some versions of Osiris's death mention that Set imprisoned his body in a tamarisk tree, the beetles were like identified with Osiris. I think the green color probably added to that association as well. They show up as jewelry, and notably as decorations on the bed canopy of Queen Hetepheres, who was the owner of those lovely silver bangles with butterflies that you may have seen. They appear on a few objects from Tutankhamun's tomb as well.

Versions of the beetle sometimes were made of gold and used in jewelry, such as the bottom row of beads on this broadcollar. I'd actually seen this one before, and assumed these beads were lotus buds.

Amulets carved of stone such as calcite, or molded from faience, have also been found, as have mummified jewel beetles. Their elytra (wing casings) have also been found crushed up and used as a pigment.

Also here's here's necklace made by the Karo tribe of the Omo Valley in Ethiopia using the wing casings of Steraspis speciosa. A similar necklace of Steraspis squamosa casings was found in a pre-dynastic tomb in Armant.

Source list:

The Symbolism and Significance of the Butterfly in Ancient Egypt by Dawn Haynes

Beetle God's of Egypt by Gene Kritsky

Insect Mythology by Gene Kritsky

[wiggloid]

I would like to hear you gush about one of your favorite beetles or other insects if you don't have a favorite beetle.

oh man, there's so many different kinds of beetles that it's difficult to choose just one! i do have a couple that live in my region (upper pacific northwest) that are really cool though:

i tend to see golden jewel beetles (Buprestis aurulenta) most often during the summer because that's when the adults start emerging from their host trees - buprestids are wood-borers in their larval stage and B. aurulenta specializes in conifer trees like douglas fir and western redcedar, which they eat and live in for a few years before they're ready to pupate. i took this picture a couple years ago at my work, which is right next to several dozen acres of undeveloped mixed forest, and while i haven't seen any this year i'm sure there's at least a few on the way!

bronze ground beetles (Carabus nemoralis) aren't actually native to the pacific northwest, but as far as i know they're not a full-blown invasive species. they're not enormous, but at just over an inch long they're not puny either (ten-lined june beetles are bigger, but they live on the other side of the cascades from me) and they have a wonderful purplish-green sheen to their carapace and elytra. these guys trundle through the grass under cover of night looking for slugs, worms and smaller, less fortunate insects to eat - the one in this picture was actually collected on a late-night walk while i was at school!

[golbiey]

happy long weekend!!! i wanted to compile all of my sonic prints in one post...theyre available on my shop!

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

With Chrysina limbata around, you won’t need a mirror! This species has an especially shiny exoskeleton, reflecting up to 97% of the light that hits it. In the wild, the mirror-like reflective surface may fool potential predators into thinking the beetle is just a drop of water- effectively serving as conspicuous camouflage.

(Image: Close-ups of Chrysina limbata by Michael Farmer)

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

[loopy-lupe]

Hello hello! Been a while since I've posted my art on tumblr, (though I HAVE still been lurking the whole time) so I figure I'll start by posting some of the sonic covers I like the most from the main ongoing comic series! I've been pushing my character proportions to feel more like the rubbery sa1 proportions for the past year and a half, so lately I've been more satisfied with how I'm drawing everyone.

[beehunterkisser]

stylised some MORE sonic characters for funs

[idwsonicnews]

Updated: Sonic the Hedgehog #69 Preview

Script: Evan Stanley (@spiritsonic/@evanstanleyportfolio) Line Art: Min Ho Kim (@deegeemin) Colors: Reggie Graham (@ziggyfin) Color Assistance: Jonathan Dobbs & Rik Mack (@rikdraws) Letters: Shawn Lee Editors: David Mariotte (@davidmariottecomics) & Thea Cheuk Production Design: Johanna Nattalie

[mew-c0m]

I think he wants to give you something 😋

[chasingrainbowsforever]

~ Jewel Tones ~

[herpsandbirds]

Jewel Beetle (Castiarina amabilis), family Buprestidae, Perth, Australia

photograph by Joshua Gan

[spiritsonic]

Some nice drawings of Jewel from Sonic #64, out today!

[katarinanavane]

I've just finished making these ancient Roman inspired "laurel wreath" crowns out of jewel beetle shells and preserved 17 year cicada wings. I've done three of the jewel beetle ones, so one is in my Etsy (link in bio), the cicada wing one is one of a kind so far so I haven't listed it yet. I'm really happy with how these came out!

[skaleighatoons]

Sonic girls sleepoverrrrr (ft silver)!!!

[t34rdr0pz]

drew some bugs [and crows] [ft. stickers from walmart also] [grilled cheese]