Image Gallery: Shimmering Metallic Beetles

Pretty as a Bead

Rainbow Jewel Beetle

(Image credit: Professional Pest Control Products)

This unique jewel beetle species is called Temognatha alternata and is native to Queensland, Australia. It flaunts stripes of yellow, navy blue, red and aquamarine. The one above is hiding its antennae close to its body.

Sparkly Pair

green and brown jewel beetles

(Image credit: Svatopluk Bílý and Oto Nakládal)

Two newly-discovered jewel beetle species, the Philanthaxia jakli (left) and Philanthaxia chalcogenoides (right). The gleaming bugs were found in southeastern Asia in July.

Stephanie Pappas
Live Science Contributor

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.