Soldier beetles (likely goldenrod soldier beetles)

Open habitats, gardens, meadows, and woodland edges, especially on flowering plants. Adults commonly aggregate on dense flower clusters.

Adults feed mainly on nectar and pollen and may consume small soft-bodied insects, including aphids. Larvae are predatory in soil and leaf litter, eating insect eggs and larvae.

Active in daylight during warm months; adults gather on flowers for feeding and mating. Larvae overwinter in soil or litter and are often beneficial predators.

Generally harmless to people and plants; they do not sting and rarely bite. They benefit gardens by pollinating flowers and helping suppress pest insects.