Pleasing fungus beetles (family Erotylidae) make up a group of over 3,500 species of brightly colored, fungus-eating insects. While they are found worldwide, they are especially diverse in the neotropics. This particular beetle most likely belongs to the species Ellipticus dorbignyi. Both adults and larvae are primarily active at night, congregating on the decaying, rotting wood where their fungal meals grow. If threatened by a predator, they can secrete foul-tasting, defensive chemicals that make them highly unpalatable. Because I had never encountered this family before taking these pictures, this photo beautifully documents my very first meeting with a pleasing fungus beetle! 🙂