Hairy-petaled Soldier Beetle (Goldenrod Soldier Beetle)

Found in fields, gardens, and meadows, often on flowering plants such as goldenrod and milkweed.

Adults feed on nectar and pollen from flowers. Larvae are predatory and consume small insects, grasshopper eggs, and snails in the soil.

Active during the day in late summer and fall. They are important pollinators and are frequently seen mating on flower heads. They undergo complete metamorphosis with larvae overwintering in the soil.

Highly beneficial to the ecosystem as both pollinators and natural pest controllers. They do not sting or bite humans and are harmless to crops and garden plants.