I had a double stroke of luck back in December 2023, crossing paths with this absolute beauty not once, but twice during my travels in Ecuador! I first spotted it deep in the Amazon at Yasuni National Park, and later encountered it again in a protected coastal rainforest. Although the beetle encountered for the second time seems to have a different pronotum color, I am convinced that it is the same species, and the difference in color is due to the lighting and lens settings. This striking little insect is Gynandrobrotica ventricosa, a vibrant neotropical leaf beetle native to South America’s tropical forests. It belongs to the Chrysomelidae family—a massive group of over 37,000 species. What makes these guys so fascinating and photogenic is how they eat. The larvae munch strictly on the soft, fleshy parts of leaves, completely avoiding the tough veins. They leave behind this gorgeous, lacy, see-through network that looks just like miniature stained glass, earning them the nickname “skeletonizing leaf beetles”