Soft-winged Flower Beetle
Dasytinae
These beetles are on an inflorescence (flower head) of Brittle Bush (Encelia farinosa). A pair en copula are present. Maricopa Co., Arizona, USA. April 2010.
Melyridae -- Soft-winged Flower Beetle Family
There are a number of species in the Dasytnae subfamily of soft-winged flower beetles and it normally requires expertise and high magnification to be sure of the exact species. Most kinds are various shades of brown or black and just 2 to 4 mm in length. In any case these beetles are sometimes very abundant in spring when there is an abundance of open flowers, particularly those with an abundance of pollen. There are many species and the full story as to how the larvae mature as grubs, on what and where they feed, and their seasonal occurance are facts still awaiting discovery by attentive naturalists.