It was Christmas Day. This colourful fellow I found by the road is known as a Christmas beetle because they come out at this time of year.
We passed through Bakers Swamp without noticing anything. Then reached our last dot on the map for this trip - Larras Lee and saw this. The roadside monument says: In Memory of WILLIAM LEE (1794 - 1870) of "Larras Lake" a pioneer of the sheep and cattle industry and first member for Roxburgh under responsible government (1856 - 1859). This stone was erected by his descendants. --- 1938 --- This is a repost from a few days ago. Thinking I would use this for this week’s Taphophile Tragics post I dug a little further into William Lee’s story, it’s a very colonial Australian one. William was born of convict parents, living his childhood years around the Sydney region. In his early 20s he was issued with some government cattle, recommended as a suitable settler and granted 134 acres at Kelso near Bathurst. He was one of the first in the area and did well. A few years later he was granted a ram and an inc...
They are beautiful, aren't they? A underneath, such gossamer wings ...
ReplyDeleteChristmas Day ... when you were shooting this I was being told exciting news.
ReplyDeleteThis coming Tuesday she finds out whether 'tis boy or girl. When speaking with me, my daughter now calls her child "Grand-foetus". What a hoot!
Beautiful. I'll have to show my kids when they get home. Their last name is also Christmas. They will be pleased.
ReplyDeleteIt is a beautiful beetle, yes. What's its size?
ReplyDeleteHere in Oklahoma we call the same beetle "June" bugs. I bet you can guess why.
ReplyDeleteIridiscents beetles are gorgeous! And there are so many species!
ReplyDeleteMartina, about 2 centimetres.
ReplyDeleteBill, June bugs ... of course they would have to have a different name.
Julie, next Christmas will be so different.
Kristen ... what an interesting last name you have
JM. I wish I could find more. They are so lovely.
I miss Christmas beetles - we don't seem to have many of them down here.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I used to love them at Christmas time in Qld.
I agree, many many more Christmas beetles up north. Mostly the plain brown ones. After a bit of rain they would come out of the ground and bombard us at night in the hundreds ... because of course the windows and doors were open and no flyscreens.
ReplyDelete