What Is It?

The dogbane leaf beetle sure is pretty, but its ever-changing rainbow of colors is a warning: Don’t get too close. It can shoot streams of stinky goo into the faces of would-be bugmunchers, giving it time to drop safely to the ground. Where does the beetle get its chemical superpower? From the plant it’s named after. Dogbane sap is toxic to most critters, but the beetle eats it without harm. Learn more at mdc.mo.gov/field-guide.