All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray as fall arrives in my local marsh, but there are still occasional spots of bright color, like this beetle that I encountered yesterday, crawling down a withered leaf. I have not been able to identify it, but its bold pattern and colors remind me of the art and fashions of the late 1960’s, when no combination was too wild. I graduated from high school in 1972 and still recall wearing some pretty wild-looking clothes.
Somehow I think the pattern on the beetle’s back would work well on a necktie. I guess it’s a commentary on how my life has progressed that I now think more in terms of neckties than tie-dyed t-shirts.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I thought we were going to do a bit of California Dreaming there for a minute. You’re right-this beetle would have fit right in with the love beads, Nehru jackets, and mind altering substances of the 60s. I’m glad I saw him now and not then.
I suspected that some of my readers would immediately catch my unsubtle musical reference. It’s funny how the songs of that era still resonate with many of us that are of a certain age.
This is stink bug nymph (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).
Thanks, Jeremy. It’s hard enough to identify insects in their adult forms and the difficulty is magnified when there are nymphs to reckon with.
Mammas and the Pappas, nice.. its a tye dye beetle, very cool and a great shot..:-)
p.s. he would have fit in with Alice in Wonderland
A child of the 60’s? You identified the artists so easily. Thanks, Ed.
Groovey! I’ve never seen one of these.