sumie ink & watercolor on kozo paper

26" x 26"

2015

The lycid beetle is sluggish, soft-bodied and slow flying.

Their body contains a compound that other insects find unacceptable to eat. This makes the lycid beetle chemically portected and when attacked, they take no evasive action believing they have nothing to fear. There are beetles and moths of other species that can acquire the chemicals from the lycid beetle and mimic their look making them free to feed on the lycid beetle with no ill effect.