Jewel Beetles’ Iridescent Shells Deter Hungry Birds—By Freaking Them Out Weirdly shifting colors may serve dual evolutionary purposes, providing both camouflage and conspicuous warning ...

MCCULLOUGH: It's a really beautiful, green, iridescent beetle. When we're sifting through the poop, it's kind of like finding this jewel (laughter).

In Yuletides past, swarms of so-called Christmas beetles, a group that includes about 35 different species, would emerge around the holidays, which hit in the middle of Australia’s summer.

One of the beetle wings. Credit: Korea Heritage Service The iridescent wings are just 0.1 millimeters thick, and had to be cut and affixed to the crown with an adhesive that has yet to be identified, ...