Globemallow Leaf Beetle - (Calligrapha serpentina)

The adult beetles emerge from the pupal stage flamboyantly adorned in vermilion. Over about a week, the red is gradually replaced by equally dazzling yellow-green that looks like the metal-flake paint job on a custom hot rod. The exquisite black “calligraphy” on the wing covers that gives them their genus name remains unchanged through this transformation.

Earlier in the season on these same plants, you’ll find lumpy clumps of black fuzz, clusters of “ugly duckling” larvae that will turn into these six-legged “swans.” One of the coolest things about these very cool beetles is that the larvae mount a coordinated defense with synchronized twitching. When threatened, all members of the cluster twitch at once, making the group look like one much larger, scarier beast.
The Globemallow Leaf Beetle's preferred vegetation are plants in the mallow family, specifically the bushy, bright, desert-growing Globemallow, though they have also been spotted on hollyhocks.
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