Bet that title got your attention. It’s a Snitch, it’s a bird, it’s a… Beetle?
At first glance, it looks uncannily like the flying golden snitch that Harry Potter chased while playing quidditch – but in fact these amazing images show a unique colour-changing beetle.
The incredibly rare golden beetle was captured by photographer Chime Tsetan.
The Golden Tortoise Beetle, as it’s formally known, can change colour and can even alter its reflectivity.
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Golden tortoise beetles are common beetles that can be found on morning glory leaves, which are their preferred food.
They can change colour, looking initially like tiny jewels, or golden ladybugs, by altering the level of reflectivity so the outer layers become clear.
Tsetan said: ‘It doesn’t sting or bite. It just tries to get to an elevated place to fly, in this case, my finger tip.
I thought that this was particularly interesting, considering the history of the Golden Snitch. Fans may remember that the Quidditch tool started out as an actual bird- the Golden Snidget. Maybe an inventive Potterhead could create a Golden Snitch toy that mimics this beetle’s flight and properties.
Source: Daily Mail