Chrysina woodi, shining leaf chafer (2)

photo: Flickr user Frank Carey

Chrysina woodi, shining leaf chafer (3)

photo: Flickr user eeksy

photo: Flickr user Frank Carey

Chrysina woodi, shining leaf chafer (4)

photo: Flickr user swampy82

Habitat: North America; Texas and New Mexico
Status: Not Listed

The Shining Leaf Chafer (Chrysina woodi) is a species of Jewel Scarab and it’s easy to see why. This little creature looks just like a living emerald! And a rather large emerald at that – how many carats would you think this thing would be?! Definitely up there in the Kim Kardashian gemstone range.

You can distinguish the Shining Leaf Chafer from other Chrysina species by its violet/blue tarsus, otherwise known as feetsies < my scientific term.

These beetles feed on fruit on foliage while their larvae feed on decaying vegetation and plant roots. I think they’re pretty cute, if you take a good look at that little leaf chafer face!

 http://youtu.be/w0PotQQVZbo