Insect Photography - Red Soldier Beetle

Today's photo is a red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva) as he is ready to take flight. He looks like he belongs in a book of fairytales about mythical dragons to me. The dots on his wing are actually tiny dewdrops.

You are more likely to see the red soldier beetle crawling along a blade of grass, on flowers in the flower garden, along roadsides or in grassy areas. The adults feed on both pollen and other insects, but they are harmless to humans.