What has six legs, a blue body with a yellow band, and likes to climb Adirondack slides?
I don't know either.
Susan Bibeau took the photo of the insect on the right while climbing the slide on Kilburn Mountain in the Sentinel Range a few weeks ago. Ever since, we've been wondering what it is.
Anybody have any ideas?
That is one gorgeous bug! To learn its name, try BugGuide.net. You'll probably have an answer within five minutes. Bug nerds are really committed to sharing their knowledge.
ReplyDeleteIt's certainly a beetle of some sort. The problem with insect field guides is that there are so many insects and they just can't include them all, so all you get are token specimens. It's very frustrating.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I love BugGuide.net! (Boy, does ths sound like an advertisement or what?!?) Post a photo and you will likely have an answer within a day - a week at the most.
Now, having said that, we've found it in the Audubon Field Guide to Insects. It's a type of long-horned beetle called an Elder Borer, AKA Cloaked Knotty-horn (I like that name). Desmoscerus palliatus. The adult eats pollen, while the larvae eat the roots of the elderberry.
Ellen, you're faster than BugGuide.net. Thanks for the answer.
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