Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Melolonthinae
Length: about 7 mm
This beetle was photographed during a mass emergence of this attractive species, one mid-May day at an Upshur County wetland. It is tentatively captioned it Serica iricolor, although Professor Phillip Harpootlian notes that S. sericea is similar in appearance, also possessing this colorful sheen.
Right: this Serica beetle (same individual as the above photo) has a particularly robust body type. Note that the rainbow sheen varies with the angle of the sunlight.
Left: Ants are always on the lookout for a new food source, but the well-armored Serica doesn't offer much opportunity.
