Henosepilachna pusillanima beetle

This morning, I back went for another short walk in nature before doing other activities. I went out for a walk very early, just as the sun was just beginning to shine and dew still clung shyly to the leaves. The breeze was still very cool and fresh.

As the sunlight began to dance across the leaves in the shadows, I discovered a tiny creature resting peacefully on a green stem. It seemed like it hadn't woken up yet. Seeing that it hadn't moved at all, I immediately took advantage of the moment to capture it.

The beetle I found was very small, but its bright color made it easy to spot it. Its base color was reddish orange, adorned with jet-black dots symmetrically distributed across its back. If you look closely, the black dots resemble a mysterious natural painting.

Judging by its appearance, this tiny creature closely resembles a koksi beetle, or more commonly known as the farmer's friend. But don't be fooled by its appearance, the beetle I found is not a koksi beetle. Rather, it is a leaf-eating beetle. Known in Latin as Henosepilachna pusillanima, it belongs to the Coccinellidae family.

As far as I've observed, this beetle is very fond of eggplant and grass, especially Israel grass. So, I can safely say that the Henosepilachna pusillanima beetle is a major pest of eggplant plants. I found it on a branch of Israel grass growing not far from the eggplant garden. Perhaps it was seeking a safe place to rest.