Photographed in a montane meadow on a flower head of
Aster sp (alpigenus?).
[Note : The text of my original post appears below. However, my initial ID below was in error and subsequently corrected by Dennis Haines (see comments).]
In the "Field Guide to Beetles of California"
(1), Evans & Hogue refer to this as the ''Yellow Velvet Beetle'' and assign it the binomial
Lepturo*bosca chryso*coma, whereas the California Beetle Database lists it as
Cosmo*salia chryso*coma (which is in accordance with BugGuide's systematics sensibilities).
Based on the images of a congener
here I'm presuming this is a female, due to the elytra appearing to cover the entire abdomen. Please correct if I'm in error here.
Don't know if that sneaky crab spider had the hubris to attack this relative giant.
