Texas ironclad beetle

This is the Texas ironclad beetle (Zopherus nodulosus ssp. haldemani). There is not much known about this species, as they are poorly studied. It is thought that the adults feed on lichens. The adults can be anywhere from a half inch to an inch and a quarter in length. It is believed that larval and pupal stages are spent in the dead wood of pecan trees, while adults can be found on oak and other trees or wood houses. They have a very tough exoskeleton. They can be found in central Texas and south into Mexico. They are not considered a nuisance as they are harmless and do not damage live plants.

They’re pretty cool looking. I saw this guy chilling on a rock at the Vireo preserve.

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My iNaturalist observation can be found here

Source: http://texasinsects.tamu.edu/bimg170.html

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