Subject: Hairy, flying Beetle
Geographic location of the bug: Michigan, USA
Date: 05/05/2019
Time: 10:53 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: this bug was loud as it buzzed by my head. Landed in mulch and burrowed in. I uncovered it to take pics – then it flew away. I regret, i was not able to get a pic while it was in flight.
It is about the size of a large bumble bee. Hairy body and legs beneath an oval shell. Six legs. Flecks of orange and brown on a shell with slight ivory stripes? Red dot above head. Front end and head are Black.
Many thanks
How you want your letter signed: Ab
Dear Ab,
We identified your Bumblebee Flower Beetle, Euphoria inda, in Beetles of North America by Arthur V. Evans where we learned “Adults often fly close to the ground, especially over piles of grass, edges of haystacks, compost piles, manure, and other plant debris. They drink sap from the wounds on tree trunks and exposed roots, or feed on various flowers and ripe fruits. According to BugGuide where it is called the Bumble Flower Beetle: “Adults emerge in the late summer, overwinter, and then become active in the early spring, thus the bimodal curve in activity.”
