Is this a Pest?????

[ktrease]

If you have alot of these beetles you can somewhat control them by filling white plastic pails with about 3 inches of water in the bottom. The beetles are attracted to light color and they get in the water and die. We do this around our garden to keep them under control.

K

[Finsky]

The larva of this beetle lives in the bottom of ant hive. It eates the organic material of hive bottom.

It indicates  that you have extra organic material on ant hive bottom

But what it really draw into hive is that eats pollen on flowers.
Big number what you told. They must be really hungry.

[Finsky]

In my area we have Japanese beetles and June bugs.

The bug in the picture seems to be this buddy. We say it "golden beetle" (=aurata).
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Europe/France/photo1441.htm

Japanese beetle is  different. It has light brown color and it's larva eats all kind of roots.
http://www.entomology.umn.edu/cues/IPM-turf/p4-japanese.jpg

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