Scarlet Malachite beetle

5658   I wonder if you could help me identify some critters that have been climbing my living room windows in the last few days. They have a red shell, with a dark stripe down the center of the back, covering the wings. They are approximately 1/2 inch long.   Thank you very much.  Reg B.  Edmonton

This appears to be a scarlet malachite beetle, Malachius aeneus (Coleoptera: Melyridae); see http://tinyurl.com/zqh9yee for an image. The larvae of these beetles are predaceous on other small arthropods. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.