meteor beetle

A green insect approximately two inches long at maturity, the meteor beetle (also known as the deadbeat beetle) was named for its peculiar mating behavior. Male meteor beetles hurl themselves at the ground, using their horned wings to excavate a cavity in the earth. Females are drawn to this cavity for mating. The males depart the cavity for good, leaving the females behind to lay their young. These larva borrow deeper into the earth, until they eventually mature and leave the nest for good. The soil surrounding abandoned meteor beetle nests is exceptionally fertile.