25 most spectacular and beautiful Beetle Species
3. Rainbow leaf beetle (Chrysolina cerealis)
A rainbow leaf beetle with its wing casings open, about it take flight
The rainbow leaf beetle has metallic bands of green, blue, gold and red. It is about 8mm long. © Gabriele Wahl/ Shutterstock.com
Even more colourful is the rainbow leaf beetle, which lives on Welsh mountainsides. Very rare in the UK, it is now found only on Mount Snowdon. The beetles' larvae feed on the flowers and leaves of wild thyme that grow there. It is one of the few UK beetle species that has legal protection.
A rainbow leaf beetle with its wing casings open, about it take flight
The rainbow leaf beetle has metallic bands of green, blue, gold and red. It is about 8mm long. © Gabriele Wahl/ Shutterstock.com
Even more colourful is the rainbow leaf beetle, which lives on Welsh mountainsides. Very rare in the UK, it is now found only on Mount Snowdon. The beetles' larvae feed on the flowers and leaves of wild thyme that grow there. It is one of the few UK beetle species that has legal protection.
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