Rainbow Scarab (Phanaeus vindex)
Habitat & Distribution
Can occupy a range of habitats; most commonly found in pastures and grasslands
Found throughout the continental United States east of the Rocky Mountain Range, down to northern Mexico
Physical Description
Length: 11-22 millimeters (0.4-0.9 inches)
The body is round and stocky, and males have a large horn on their heads
Both males and females have iridescent, primarily green metallic shells, though the shells of females are more dull than males
Adults have wings that are hidden beneath the hard shell when not in use
Behaviour
Rainbow scarabs feed almost exclusively on dung, particularly that of large herbivorous mammals
Adults build extensive subterranean tunnels below food sources, and bury excrement for their larvae to feed on
Unlike other dung beetles, the rainbow scarab shapes faecal matter into pear-shaped balls
Rainbow scarabs are mostly solitary, and males will battle each other to defend their territories
Main predators are birds of prey, including the burrowing owl
Key Advantages
Though they mostly stay on the ground, rainbow scarabs are able to fly over short distances
The irridescent shell may confuse predators
Photo by Julianna Schroeder
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Back on my hyperfixation shenanigans so I have not slept and here's a list of what I consider to be the prettiest beetles, butterflies and moths, damselflies, and grasshoppers and crickets that inhabit Colorado and Kentucky according to insectidentification.org :
COLORADO
Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis)
Fifteen-spotted lady beetle (Anatis labiculata)
Golden tortoise beetle (Charidotella sexpunctata)
Knapweed root weevil (Cyphocleonus achates)
Longhorn beetle (Semanotus amethystinus)
Dogbane Leaf Beetle (Chrysochus auratus)
European Ground Beetle (Carabus nemoralis)
Golden Net-wing Beetle (Dictyoptera aurora)?
Margined Blister Beetle (Epicauta funebris)
May Beetle - P. lanceolata (Phyllophaga lanceolata)
Mottled Tortoise Beetle (Deloyala guttata)
Pleasing Fungus Beetle (Gibbifer californicus)
Poplar Borer Beetle (Saperda calcarata)
Shining Leaf Chafer - Anomala spp. (Anomala spp.)
Signate Lady Beetle (Hyperaspis signata)
American Lappet Moth (Phyllodesma americana)
Cinnabar Moth (Tyria jacobaeae)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
Glover's Silkmoth (Hyalophora columbia gloveri)
Great Ash Sphinx Moth (Sphinx chersis)
Autumn Meadowhawk (Sympetrum vicinum)
Black Saddlebags Skimmer (Tramea lacerata)
Bird Grasshopper (Schistocerca spp.)
Obscure Bird Grasshopper (Schistocerca obscura)
Sooty Longwing Katydid (Capnobotes fulginosus)
KENTUCKY
Andrew's Snail-eating Beetle (Scaphinotus andrewsii)
Black Firefly (Lucidota atra)
Calligrapha Beetle (Calligrapha spp)
Eastern Hercules Beetle (Dynastes tityus)
Emerald Euphoria Beetle (Euphoria fulgida)
Glowworm (Phengodes spp.)
Goldsmith Beetle (Cotalpa lanigera)
Metallic Wood-boring Beetle: Chalcophora (Chalcophora fortis)
Notched-mouth Ground Beetle (Dicaelus purpuratus)
One-spotted Tiger Beetle (Apterodela unipuncata)
Rainbow Darkling Beetle (Tarpela micans)
Rainbow Scarab Beetle (Phanaeus vindex)
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle (Cicindela sexguttata)
Southern Sculptured Pine Borer Beetle (Chalcophora georgiana)
Stag Beetle (Lucanus capreolus)
Twice-stabbed Lady Beetle (Chilocorus stigma)
Vietinghoff's Ground Beetle (Carabus vietinghoffii)
Abbott's Sphinx Moth (Sphecodina abbottii)
American Ermine Moth (Yponomeuta multipunctella)
Arched Hooktip (Drepana arcuata)
American Bird's-Wing Moth (Dypterygia rozmani)
Arcigera Flower Moth (Schinia arcigera)
Attentive Crocus Moth (Xanthotype attenuaria)
Basswood Leafroller (Pantographa limata)
Beautiful Wood-Nymph (Eudryas grata)
Black-waved Flannel Moth (Megalopyge crispata)
Blackberry Looper (Chlorochlamys chloroleucaria
Blinded Sphinx Moth (Paonias excaecata)
Bluish Spring Moth (Lomographa semiclarata
Buck Moth (Hemileuca maia)
Carmine Snout Moth (Peoria approximella)
Carrot Seed Moth (Sitochroa palealis)
Cecropia Silk Moth (Hyalophora cecropia)
Changeable Grass-Veneer (Fissicrambus mutabilis)
Colorful Zale (Zale minerea)
Common Lytrosis Moth (Lytrosis unitaria)
Confused Eusarca (Eusarca confusaria)
Cross-lined Wave (Timandra amaturaria)
Curve-toothed Geometer (Eutrapela clemataria)
Dark-banded Geometer (Ecliptopera atricolorata)
Deep Yellow Euchlaena (Euchlaena amoenaria)
Diaphania costata (Diaphania costata
Dimorphic Macalla (Epipaschia superatalis)
Dot-lined White (Artace cribrarius)
Dotted Gray (Glena cribrataria)
Drab Prominent (Misogada unicolor)
Eight-spotted Forester Moth (Alypia octomaculata)
Elder Shoot Borer (Achatodes zeae)
Explicit Arches (Lacinipolia explicata)
Eyed Paectes Moth (Paectes oculatrix)
Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea) (female)
Fall Webworm (Hyphantria cunea)
False Crocus Geometer (Xanthotype urticaria
Fervid Plagodis (Plagodis fervidaria)
Fig Sphinx (Pachylia ficus)
Friendly Probole Moth (Probole amicaria)
Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia)
Goldcap Moss-eater Moth (Epimartyria auricrinella)
Gray-edged Hypena (Hypena madefactalis)
Green Arches (Anaplectoides prasina)
Hag Moth (Phobetron pithecium
Hibiscus Leaf Caterpillar Moth (Rusicada privata)
Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis)
Lesser Maple Spanworm Moth (Speranza pustularia
Luna Moth (Actias luna)
Melissa Blue Butterfly (Plebejus melissa spp.)
Modest Sphinx Moth (Pachysphinx modesta)
Morbid Owlet Moth (Chytolita morbidalis)
Orange-patched Smoky Moth (Pyromorpha dimidiata)
Pale Beauty (Campaea perlata)
Pale Lichen Moth (Crambidia pallida)
Pale Metarranthis (Metarranthis indeclinata)
Pandorus Sphinx Moth (Eumorpha pandorus)
Parthenice Tiger Moth (Apantesis parthenice)
Pearly Wood-Nymph Moth (Eudryas unio)
Pero Moth (Pero spp.)
Pink-patched Looper (Eosphoropteryx thyatyroides)
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Pistachio Emerald Moth (Hethemia pistasciaria)
Plebeian Sphinx Moth (Paratrea plebeja) (Caterpillar)
Primrose Moth (Schinia florida)
Promiscuous Angle Moth (Macaria promiscuata)
Raspberry Pyrausta (Pyrausta signatalis)
Rustic Sphinx Moth (Manduca rustica)
Saddleback Caterpillar Moth (Acharia stimulea)
Saddled Yellowhorn (Colocasia flavicornis)
Salt-and-pepper Looper Moth (Syngrapha rectangula)
Satin Moth (Leucoma salicis)
Scarlet-winged Lichen Moth (Hypoprepia miniata)
Schlaeger's Fruitworm Moth (Antaeotricha schlaegeri)
Showy Emerald Moth (Dichorda iridaria)
Small Bird Dropping Moth (Ponometia erastrioides)
Snowy Urola (Urola nivalis)
Sorghum Webworm Moth (Nola cereella)
Southern Flannel Moth (Megalopyge opercularis)
Southern Longhorn Moth (Adela caeruleella)
Southern Pine Sphinx (Lapara coniferarum)
Southern Tussock Moth (Dasychira meridionalis)
The Badwing (Dyspteris abortivaria)
Unspotted Looper Moth (Allagrapha aerea)
Venerable Dart Moth (Agrotis venerabilis
Vine Sphinx Moth (Eumorpha vitis)
Walnut Sphinx Moth (Amorpha juglandis)
Wavy-lined Emerald Moth (Synchlora aerata)
Western Grapeleaf Skeletonizer Moth (Harrisina metallica)
White Flannel Moth (Norape ovina)
White Slant-line Moth (Tetracis cachexiata)
White-fringed Emerald Moth (Nemoria mimosaria)
Yucca Moth (Tegeticula, Greya, and Prodoxus spp.)
Carolina Locust (Dissosteira carolina)
Eastern Shieldback Katydid (Atlanticus spp.)
Slender Meadow Katydid (Conocephalus fasciatus)
True Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia)
Ebony Jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata)
Midland Clubtail (Gomphurus fraternus)
Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta)
Seepage Dancer (Argia bipunctulata)
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