What Are the Sand Mounds Popping Up in Temple Terrace?

Have you ever seen a grassy area filled with what look like large ant hills?

So has Rick Gibson of Temple Terrace. He took these photos at Temple Terrace Elementary School, and then posted them in the Temple Terrace Pics & Clips gallery. Now, we're featuring them as our Sunday Community Photos this week.

Here's what Rick had to say about the pictures:

Looks like we are being invaded by aliens?

An invasion, yes, but by native animals. The mounds are made by a scarab beetle, Peltotrupes profundus, endemic to Florida.

They are normally found only in the pine sandhills of Florida. It is very possible that the Temple Terrace Elementary School sits on what use to be a pine sandhill community. The beetles are only re-invading their once native home.

They are harmless and actually help in rotating the soil. Mound building is most active during the month of December and can also be found over most of the campus of the University of South Florida (another former pine sandhill site).

Do you have photos to share with the community? Post them in Temple Terrace Pics & Clips by clicking "Upload Photos and Videos," and they could be featured on a future Sunday.