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September species: Rainbow Scarab (Phanaeus vindex)
This month's observation wasn’t exactly on the trails, but these fabulous metallic beetles have a presence in my barn that I just can’t ignore! First I noticed them in the water troughs one or two “doggy paddling” around, then they were in the aisle marching back and forth with manure! These absolutely gorgeous multicolored jewel tone beetles, about the size of a grape, were on a mission. I used my Seek app which promptly identified them as rainbow scarabs. I learned that rainbow scarabs are dung beetles that live around farm animals but also can be found in forests which makes perfect sense given my location. They are sexually dimorphic, meaning the males look different from the females; most notably because the males have a rhino like horn. These beetles are known to build tunnels which they use to connect with other rainbow scarabs for a food exchange network. I have found male and female beetles in the barn and have become comfortable with picking them up. Their legs feel a little pokey, but they cannot bite and seem to appreciate being saved from the water troughs. These colorful beetles are not only beautiful to look at, but are beneficial to the environment, so I’m happy they can call my barn home.
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