Bugs, bugs, bugs! There are millions of them but have you have you ever heard of a Trichiotinus piger? You probably haven’t a common name for this insect is a Hairy Flower Beetle. Hairy Flower Beetles look a lot like bees because of their coloration. The most common areas you would find these beetles are in Northern America. Once you read this report you will be able to find them easily.

​

If you were to look for a Hairy Flower Beetle you would look for these characteristics. Hairy Flower Beetles can be from 8 to 45 millimeters long. These beetles pronotum, the beetles thorax, is usually brown or black and they have white stripes on their back. One adaptation that the beetle has is it looks like a bee so some animals don’t want to mess with it. So if you were going to find the beetle you would look for something similar to a bee. Now you know what to look for when you are trying to find a Hairy Flower Beetle.

In order to find this species you have to know where they are located. Hairy Flower Beetles live in a range of Texas, Louisiana, Vermont, and Canada. When they reproduce they have at least 12 young. These beetles have a steady population at this time. That’s where you would go to find a Hairy Flower Beetle.

​

Predators may think of their diet as the Hairy Flower Beetle, but the dietary needs of this beetle are important to their survival. The niche of the food web is they are the second to the bottom of the food chain. This beetle eats grass, pollen, vegetables, fruits, and plant roots. Some predators of these beetles are spiders and some types of birds. Luckily to prevent from being eaten they can fly and fit in small spaces. That is there diet and feeding habits.

​

Consequently, the understanding of this beetle is clear. They help the environment, but can also harm the environment. One interesting fact would be that they buzz like a bee. They also go through the stage of metamorphosis underground. Even though these insects are so small they are still a very interesting beetle in the world.

Author: Aubrey C.
Published: 02/2013 

Sources-bugguide.net/node/view/5726, cirrusimage.com/beetle, zipcode.com, field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America written by Arthur V. Evans

Picture Credit: http://bugguide.net/node/view/531348