Seed corn beetles

Seedcorn beetles, in the genus Stenolophus, are sometimes pests on corn seeds, but are usually regarded as beneficial organisms that feed on the eggs and larvae of other insects. So it was a surprise to find hundreds of the small (1/4 inch, or about 6 mm), light brown beetles invading the poa greens of a California golf course. They were first noticed due to the small mounds of sand that they produced, primarily in aerification holes. They didn't seem to…