On a green leaf drenched in drizzle, a small insect rested peacefully. It was a shining leaf beetle, or Lema praeusta in Latin. It's one of the uniquely colored insects from the Chrysomelidae family. The first time I saw this beetle, it was green and brownish-orange. When I moved to another angle, the beetle's color changed to emerald green. Strangely, when it appeared on my phone screen, its color changed again, now a blackish green.
It was truly extraordinary, it wasn't just any beetle. It was a truly extraordinary magician. As I took the photo, I wondered if its color would change again if I moved. Unfortunately, I couldn't move to another angle, the other corner was dense with dense vegetation that I couldn't step on. I felt I'd had enough of the three colors green, emerald green, and blackish green. Its demeanor also amazed me. It was so calm, it didn't move an inch during the photo session. Until I finished taking the picture he was still faithfully there.
| Latin name | Lema praeusta |
|---|---|
| Observation date | 23 Nov, 2025 |
| Camera used | realme 7 Pro |
| Photographers | @reachdreams |
| Location | Aceh, Indonesia |
| Link to original community |
|---|
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/327783122
| Latitude | Longitude | Map |
|---|---|---|
| 4.695135 | 96.7493993 | https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=4.695135&mlon=96.7493993 |
