Subject: Beautiful shield (?) bug
Geographic location of the bug: Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia
Date: 06/07/2018
Time: 09:55 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: My friend found this beautiful bug on his rain gutter downspout this week. It almost looks like a china pattern… can you please help us identify it? I’ve been unable to find any similar pictures online so far. Thank you.
How you want your letter signed: Amy
Dear Amy,
This is not a Shield Bug. It is a Leaf Beetle in the genus Calligrapha. We suspect it is the wide ranging and considerably variable Common Willow Calligrapha pictured on BugGuide.