What's this? Blue beetle

[Two_Sheds]

I've been a-googling, but can't find much at all.
Sorry the pic is so small. The bugs (and there are 100s of them on my plot) are really shiny, metallic blue, very pretty. About 7mm long.

It may be Harpalus Affinis, a blue version?

[marialittlebzz]

It must be ! Coz the other blue beetle similar to that lives in North America :
Blue Milkweed beetle

[Nicos]

Hmmm...I've got those ..I think!!!!

I think it's either a rosemary beetle- or a similar one which eats mint ( well MOST of mine last year)

Do you have rosemary or mint nearby????

Can't quite remember the name...I'll have a quick Google for you....

[Nicos]

Not Rosemary/lavender beatle- cos they have stripes..

http://www.rhs.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/B...arybeetle1.jpg

[Nicos]

Ah ha!!!!

This is what I had....(but it's not a life size piccie!!!) on my mint.....

http://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk/...cats/05969.jpg

http://www.uksafari.com/mintleaf.htm

[Two_Sheds]

Do you have rosemary or mint nearby?

No, neither.
Not on my plot, nor next to me.

[Two_Sheds]

It does look like the Mint Leaf Beetle (the blue one, not the greeny bronze one). But I don't grow mint. Nor does my neighbour.
It was all over my Poached Eggs.

[Nicos]

OOOwwweeee..by the look of those two - you'll have plenty more!!

..let us know what they munch their way through!!!

[onefivenine]

Very hard to get a good id with such small images can you link to larger ones? Thought I'd see if I can id it from my Collins Insect Field Guide... it could be the Chrysomelidae family - but apparently there are 250 different species of Leaf Beatle in Britain!