Of all the insects I found in my town, in a rural area of Buenos Aires, I think this is the strangest and most beautiful. It appeared perched on a car. The iridescent green color of its wings, its red body, are a marvelous spectacle. Its antennae, very long, have something of a brush, and give it a strange appearance.
It is a beetle called el guitarrero (in English it would be "the guitarist"). Its scientific name is Compsocerus violaceus. It is native to Argentina and other parts of South America. Its name comes from the sound it makes when rubbing a leg against the wing, similar to that of a guitar. During the whole time I was watching it (and photographing it) it did not make a sound. It is said that one way to force the insect to make its chirping sound is to enclose it in your hand without crushing it and bring it close to your ear. I don't plan to put it through that situation.
According to Wikipedia they are considered a pest, as they lay their eggs on several species of trees. The larvae then feed on the wood of the tree until they reach adulthood. At least in this area they are not very numerous and I doubt they could become a problem.
[ESP]
De todos los insectos que encontré en mi pueblo, en una zona rural de Buenos Aires, creo que este es el más extraño y bello. Apareció posado sobre un auto. El color verde tornasolado de sus alas, su cuerpo rojo, son un espectáculo maravilloso. Sus antenas, muy largas, tienen algo de cepillo, y le dan un aspecto raro.
Se trata de un escarabajo llamado el guitarrero. Su nombre científico es Compsocerus violaceus. Es nativo de la Argentina y de otras partes de América del Sur. Su nombre proviene del sonido que hace al frotar una pata contra el ala, similar al de una guitarra. Durante todo el tiempo que lo estuve contemplando (y fotografiando) no hizo ningún sonido. Dicen que una forma de forzar al insecto a que haga su chirrido consiste en encerrarlo en la mano sin aplastarlo y acercarla al oído. No pienso hacerlo pasar por esa situación.
Según Wikipedia son considerados una plaga, ya que ponen sus huevos en varias especies de árboles. Luego, las larvas se alimentan de la madera del árbol hasta que llegan a la adultez. Al menos en esta zona no son muy numerosos y dudo que puedan transformarse en un problema.
For sure I won't be doing this 😅
Nice picture u got there
Truly an interesting insect. Thanks for going as far as identifying it.
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