African Woolly Chafers (Genus Sparrmannia): these beetles have a dense, insulating coat of "fur" that protects them from the frigid conditions of the desert at night

[u/SixteenSeveredHands]

[u/SixteenSeveredHands]

Beetles of the genus Sparrmannia are widely distributed throughout the arid and semi-arid regions of southern Africa. They have very distinctive features, with large, plump bodies and tawny-colored "fur," and some species can measure up to 25mm (nearly 1 inch) long. 

They generally hide in underground burrows during the day, and emerge only at night, when the desert is substantially cooler. Their dense layer of "fur" (setae) acts as insulation, which allows the beetles to remain active at night, even when the temperature plummets.

Sources & More Info:

• Eyewitness Travel Guide to South Africa: Sparrmannia flava (near the bottom of the page)
• Excerpt from the Book The Kalahari: survival in a thirstland wilderness: Screenshot
• The Coleopterists Bulletin: Biology of Sparrmannia flava
• The Book of Beetles: Sparrmannia
• Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa: Revision of the Genus Sparrmannia
• Descriptive Catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa: Genus Sparrmannia
• Excerpt from the Book Pollinators, Predators, and Parasites by Clarke Scholtz, et al: Temperature Control in Sparrmannia flava

[u/MadeOnThursday → u/SixteenSeveredHands]

are they related to bumblebees?

[u/Critter-Enthusiast → u/MadeOnThursday]

Bumblebees are bees, these are beetles

[u/OGigachaod → u/Critter-Enthusiast]

Beetles can fly too.

[u/NoThoughtsOnlyFrog → u/OGigachaod]

Most insects can fly, doesn’t mean anything