I used to think of beetles as being rather plain and boring. The only obvious exception I knew of was the Japanese beetle, which is a beautiful but terrible destroyer of rosebushes. This new mystery thing is brighter and prettier than a Japanese beetle, thus interesting. What is it? My best guess in the comments.
P.S. Sorry for the poor quality of these pictures, but this was one bug that did not want its picture taken. I felt like a paparazzo! Why it was dressed in bright metallic green if it didn’t want to be seen is beyond me. If you would like to see better pictures of this kind of bug, Google its name (see comments).
After browsing my Audubon field guide, I believe this is a six-spotted green tiger beetle. The book describes the bug’s habitat as “Paths and adjacent open areas in deciduous or mixed woodland,” and that’s exactly where I found it—on a path through mixed woodland.
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