While pulling weeds in my front yard the other evening I spotted these little beetles. Roughly the size of a grain of rice (about 1/4″ long) I would’ve overlooked them if not for their gorgeous metallic blue-green color. Pesky weeds were forgotten as I dashed inside to grab my phone so I could take some photos in the last light of day.

A new species for me, I learned they are members of the Flea Beetle family (Altica spp.). Narrowing it down from there proved to be a bit more challenging. The definitive way to differentiate the species is to run their DNA. Since I don’t have a sequencer the next best way to distinguish them is to examine their internal genitalia, though that seemed mighty intrusive.

A less reliable, but field-friendly, method is to determine what host plant they are using as some species have strong preferences. Based on the plants in my yard, I believe these are Altica litigata, a species which happens to favor evening primrose.

Although they can fly, these beetles are good jumpers (much like fleas). In fact, they are so good at it that even their genus name references their skill (from the Greek word for jumper). Their strong hind legs enable them to jump long distances, probably to help them avoid predation.

Welcome to my yard, shiny ones!