Today was brightened by the metallic sheen of a female Rainbow Scarab Beetle. Males of the species have a long back-curving horn on top of their head.
Scarabs are dung beetles; they dig burrows and stock the burrows with dung on which they lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch the larvae feed on the dung.
This species coats its dung brood ball with clay and then abandons it. Other species groom the dung ball to remove molds and fungi.
I would guess this beetle to be about one inch long!
John
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| Rainbow Scarab Beetle |
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