Wednesday Explorers Club ~ the Beetles

The other day I was sitting on the porch looking at grass and there, scuttling between the blades, was a brilliant green beetle. We've got lots of beetles; there are coppery Japanese beetles nibbling leaves and flowers in my garden, orange beetles hanging out on milkweed, ladybird beetles in a rainbow of hues from yellow and peach to bright red, as well as darker beetles in blacks, browns, and purple.

There are more than 400,000 different kinds of beetles, and they are a diverse group. Go out and look at them and you'll see what I mean.

Besides the obvious - color and size - check out their antennae (you might need a magnifying lens). Some are long and thin, like filaments or strings of beads; others have clubs at the end or look like they have fingers that can open and close.

Look in different places: in puddles, wading pools, under rocks, on plants, in the grass. Check for beetles at different times of the day; some fly by night, and lightning beetles even make their own lights.

Here's more about beetles from San Diego Zoo. And if you're still wondering what's the difference between a beetle and a bug, check this out.

So head out to hang with the beetles for a day or a week. Take your notebook and colored pencils so you can capture their beauty.

Archimedes Notebook is taking a break from book reviews for a few weeks so I can spend this summer being a curious naturalist. I'll be heading out with my notebook and camera - so you might find some new Wednesday Explorers Club adventures posted. But for the most part I plan to indulge in non-digital exploration of my world. I invite you to turn off your computer for a few hours each week so you can explore the world around you.