I was poking around in the coastal vegetation at the beach today when I discovered these teeny tiny metallic flea beetles chomping on the sea beet. They are actually about 3mm long and one of more than 100 species of flea beetle found in Britain. They have particularly large back legs that enable them to leap away from danger. . . like a flea!
These flea beetles will have recently emerged, having overwintered in the leaf litter. Soon they will deposit their larvae into the soil to feed on the beet roots before pupating in mid summer and overwinter as adults. And so the cycle goes on. . .