Yesterday, we drove out to a native plant sale being held on prairie land south of town. It was pretty out, and the place was crawling with folks who know SO MUCH about taproots and blossoms and varieties and runners.
On the walk back to our car, I looked into a great big thistle blossom and saw that it was crawling with folks too — of the beetle variety — and I hoped they were there to help rather than harm!
Imagine my delight to learn that they’re called Kern’s Flower Scarab — could there be a prettier name? — and that they were indeed doing the good work of pollinating. Life really looks after itself sometimes.
Haiku 27, 2026
Wallow in yellow,
enraptured flower scarab.
Then, transmit joy!
What an amazing find! (And the photo is fabulous.) I love the word enraptured here.
I had to go look up what a group of beetles is called. It’s a swarm or colony. Boo. Maybe you can invent a better name!