The Christmas Beetle is a well-loved visitor around this time of year. The sight of these bumbling short lived creatures is a welcome reminder of the seasons change. Their bright golden hues and idiotic inability to avoid attraction to bright lights makes them a real sight… usually.
This year however their numbers have been very depleted and this seems to be an ongoing trend. Last year there were few compared to the early years.
Whether this is caused by the drought, the building around us, or the pressure on their larvae caused by gardeners objecting to their feeding methods… i.e. on the roots of lawns… I can’t say. But I hope it is a temporary fluctuation and no more.
I for one really look forward to the annual visit… and the subsequent brushing up of the dozens of bodies that weren’t able to make it to the earth to reproduce.
The Eclectic Interweb 