Ranunculus Flower and Beetle
September 11, 2023
Photographer: Menashe Davidson
Summary Author: Menashe Davidson
The Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae family), commonly known as a buttercup, has multi-layered petals located on the top of a tall strait stem. With layers of raffled petals in a rainbow of hues, it’s no wonder that the Ranunculus is such a popular garden flower.
While strolling through my home garden on the morning of March 1, 2023, the presence of a beetle in the open flower of the Ranunculus plant shown above (top) attracted my attention. Beetles can also play a role in pollinating buttercups, but they prefer plants with open flowers and exposed pollen. When it's cold, the flower keeps itself warm by forming its petals into a cup shape to collect sunshine. This makes a cozy home at night for insects like beetles that take advantage of the flower's warmth (bottom photo, taken in the early morning on March 2, 2023. This beetle was identified as a white spotted rose beetle (Oxythyrea funesta), a phytophagous beetle species belonging to the family Cetoniidae.
Rishon LeZion, Israel Coordinates: 31.9730, 34.7925
Related Links: