A quiet American...

...or that's what was in my mind as I noticed something glinting in the afternoon light as I went to cut a sprig of rosemary from the garden.

Chrysolina americana - the Rosemary Beetle - three in fact, nibbling away on the ingredient that gives my pasta sauce that certain je ne sais quoi!

But it turns out they are about as American as .... something not very American! A veritable faux amis.

They apparently originate in southern Europe, so would love to know how they came by their specific name. It first appeared in the UK in the 1990's and has steadily spread north since, and is now in my garden!

A good looking beetle but if my wife sees it on the lavender there could be trouble!