Spotted mini-beetles - friend or foe?

I haven't seen these little fellows before... might anyone know what they are? So far I've only seen them munching on fallen apples.

 

I just discovered one inside my house....crawling in the basement along the cool tile/baseboards...I too would like to know what these beetles are doing here? and why I have never seen one until today...it measured 1 1/4 inch or 3 cm...I have also noticed a tiny orange coloured beetle on my Brugmansia during the heat spell....and other types of
bugs have ventured into the backyard....???? Global warming???? Insects galore?

 

Mine are actually less than a half inch long - really mini.