Soldier Beetle (or similar dark blister/soft-winged flower beetle)

Fields, meadows, gardens, and sometimes found resting on walls or vegetation near wooded areas.

Adults feed on pollen, nectar, and sometimes small insects or aphids. Larvae are predatory and eat eggs and larvae of other soil-dwelling insects.

They are often seen on flowers during the day. Adults are clumsy fliers and are attracted to artificial lights at night, which is why they occasionally wander indoors.

Generally beneficial to gardens as pollinators and biological control agents against garden pests. They do not sting, though some species can secrete defensive fluids that might irritate sensitive skin if handled roughly.