Rainbow Scarab Beetle

This colorful lil Rainbow Scarab is a Dung Beetle. Latin name Phaneus vindex.  I’ve been fortunate enough to witness these guys in action on numerous occasions. I’ll never forget the first time I saw one. I was outside in North Florida with my dog, who ah, welll. . . had just created a small dung pile.  Within minutes I heard a loud buzzing (like a very loud bee).  I looked, and to my surprise I saw this shiny, huge beetle buzz right by us and land on the dung pile.  She was so vibrant and shiny green that I just had to watch as this beautiful beetle effortlessly pulled that log of dung down under the soil within seconds, leaving only what looked like an ant hill.  I later learned that she lays her eggs on the excrement where the larva eventually will feed on it until they eclose (hatch) into a full size beetle.  Cool eh!?

Painted with Liquitex acrylics, detailed with Prismacolor colored pencils