Blanchard Beetle

Description:

Small, plump friendly beetles, barely 3cm, that are reddish-brown and black. Rather hairly, with the hair being light brown. Shoulder area is all black with small "pock marks" The black head has a redish tip.

Habitat:

The habitat for these guys was in the grassy median on a major thoroughfare in the city of Bogotá, Colombia.

Notes:

During a Sunday morning run, I noticed the grassy area I was running on was swarming with these beetles. I run in the grassy median for about half of my 9 mile route. Many were "floating" low to the ground, while many others were crawling in the grass, or climbing onto the backs of others. When I stopped to check them out, they seem to be franticaly trying to mate—with any and all beetles near them. It looked like (the females) were trying to burrow underground while the males tried to mate with them. When I returned about two hours later with my camera, after heavy rain, they seemed to all be gone except for a few (males?) that were dead or near dead. Maybe this was a one-day mating event? (I hope I have the naming correct.)