First Day Surprise After Quitting
Hey everyone, I quit! Finally said goodbye to the 9-to-5 (okay, more like 9-to-9) life.
First rule of the new schedule: Morning exercise in the park every single day!
And then I found a whole family of Chrysolina aurichalcea in the park!
You know, those beautiful beetles with that shimmering metallic blue sheen, commonly known as the “metallic blue leaf beetle,” part of the leaf beetle family.
Beetle Daily Observation (Day 1)
Time: 7:30 AM
Weather: Sunny
Beetle Mood: Seemed pretty good
I squatted there watching them for a whole half hour.
My New Plan
As someone from the tech industry, my occupational hazard kicked in - I’m going to do a Beetle Observation Journal!
Here’s the plan:
- Daily Check-In: Must visit after morning exercise every day
- Data Logging: Record quantity, behavior, weather
- Photo Archive: Snap their daily lives with my phone (hope the beetles don’t sue me for invasion of privacy)
- Long-Term Tracking: See how this family develops
Chrysolina aurichalcea Science Time
Since I’m claiming to be an “entomology PhD,” I should show some real knowledge! Let me introduce these “blue gems” to you:
📸 Iconic Appearance
- Oval-shaped body, “plump and shiny,” super recognizable
- Entire body covered in intense metallic blue/purple iridescence, reflecting like sapphires in sunlight
- Antennae and legs are black, giving an overall premium look
🌿 Host Plants
- These guys are super dedicated! Almost exclusively found on Asclepiadaceae plants (the vine I found them on)
- Adults chew on leaves, while larvae feed on plant roots in the soil - the whole family are foodies
🗺️ Distribution and Habits
- Very common in northern and central China
- Summer is their active season
- They play dead! When disturbed, they’ll drop from the plant and pretend to be dead (Oscar-worthy performance)
💡 Fun Fact
Their metallic sheen isn’t from pigment! It’s from special microstructures on their elytra that refract light. From different angles, you’ll see blue, green, purple, and other colors - that’s nature’s “structural coloration”!
✨ Why I Love Them?
- Beauty Queen: Metallic blue shell glistening in sunlight, better than some influencer filters
- Cool Name: “Chrysolina aurichalcea” sounds so academic
- Gentle Personality: Doesn’t bite, doesn’t sting, just quietly eats leaves
- Strong Family Values: Always together as a family, happy and harmonious
Final Thoughts
On my first day after quitting, I didn’t think about any grand life plans or rush to start new projects.
I just squatted next to the Asclepiadaceae vine in the park, watching a group of beetles eat, sleep, and do their thing.
In that moment, I suddenly realized: Life can actually be pretty simple.
See you tomorrow, beetle family!
About Me
I used to work at NetEase Games, Baidu, Tencent (8 years), and Meituan (nearly 7 years), leading large R&D projects and managing engineering teams of over 100 people.
Now I’m starting a business in AI.
Why? Because the world is full of uncertainty - staying in a company too long makes you addicted to certainty. AI entrepreneurship is like sailing into uncharted waters.
Contact me: HummingbirdLabs@outlook.com.