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Please ID this beetle found on Cape Cod
I found several beetles like this in a patch of flowers in a saltwater marsh on Cape Cod. There were lots of aggressive wasps around the flowers that chased off bees and other insects that approached (and me!), but these beetles were left alone. I have never seen this beetle before, and I’d like to know what it is. Also, is the black and yellow coloration a strategy to fool the wasps into accepting their presence?
East Sandwich, CApe Cod, MA
Tim Crowninshield

Locust Borer

Hi Tim,
What a positively gorgeous photo of a Locust Borer.  These wasp mimic beetles are found in the late summer and early autumn, and they are frequently associated with goldenrod blossoms.  Their coloration helps them fool potential enemies.

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