http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Eastern-Eyed-Click-Beetle The larvae eat other insects but the adults don't eat much at all so are harmless.
Well that's certainly a new one to me. What a strange looking beetle. So glad you posted a picture of it for us to see. Well done Toni for IDing it.
I was going to mention they reminded me of a click beetle, but mine are plain brown/gray. Nasty things in my soil. They eat the radishes and make tunnels in the potatoes in the garden. yours is kind of cool looking.
It's good to see you have macroorganism in your compost. Compost needs to be a nice home for insects, and for microorganisms as well, of course. Nice bug you have there.
That is a new bug for me, it seems like new ones are showing up everywhere with this crazy weather...
I had this same insect fly into my car while i was driving on the road. I quickly got him out, not knowing exactly what it was.
