Could you please help me identify the beetle colony that is patrolling my chilli plant for the last two weeks?
I’ve done a quick search using Google and the keywords “beetle” and “chilli” but none of the search results match my six legged friends.
I’ll attach photos at the end of this description...
The beetles are in no hurry and in fact one and up to two beetles seem to find a location on the plant, be that an old chilli, a new chilli or a part of the stem or on the leaves and simply stay put - they seem to be on guard. They are also at times quite active, although my observations of any one beetle have not lasted long enough to identify how long they stay in place (on guard) and how often they move.
I suspect that they may be providing more benefit to the plant than distress, as the chilli plant is quite healthy and is currently flowering and setting new fruit.
Location: Sydney, Australia (part temperate, part subtropical growing conditions).
