Beetle of the Moment

Just now, the Rose Chafers Cetonia aurata (Cétoine dorée) are very much in evidence, buzzing their way in through the open windows of the house and then out again with a little encouragement. If you sit in the garden, one of these big metallic green beetles is quite likely to crash into you, shuffle its wings a bit to get them back under the elytra and walk sedately up your arm. It will soon figure out that you are not a tasty flower stamen and launch itself into the air again, with much thrumming and revving.

Le Jardin de Lucie has some lovely photos and plenty of interesting detail about the species (if you understand French).

And here are some of our photos:






Susan


Yesterday Ken came down from St Aignan with Starr and Jean Luc, who are in the building game. We had a very pleasant lunch at l'Image, a good explore around our house, and a little walk some way into the countryside. Things are looking good around Preuilly - lush growth, plenty of bird and insect life, and all the fruit trees appear to have a bumper crop. The weather was a bit strange though - it kept looking like rain without actually really following through. (You mave have noticed a weather motif appearing in the blog - we live in the country, what do you expect!)

Simon