Mettalic Green Beetle
September 3, 2009
I haven’t seen one of these in the Bay Area in 3 years. I’m wondering if it is local to California, it measured about 1in long. I was able to easily catch it by hand (very clumsy bug).
Michael Blair
San Jose, CA
Green Fruit Beetle
Dear Michael,
The Green Fruit Beetle or Figeater, Cotinus mutabilis, according to Charles Hogue in his book Insects of the Los Angeles Basin, was: “Originally native to Arizona and New Mexico, it gradually spread westward and became noticeable in the Los Angeles area after the 1960s.” Perhaps its range is spreading northward as well, possibly due to global warming, or perhaps by accidental introduction. Adults generally fly in Los Angeles during the hot final days of summer in August and September.
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Posted 04 September 2009
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Giant Beetle?
August 23, 2009
My husband found this giant beetle as a hitch hiker on his way home from work. He brought it in to me because he knows I like unusual bugs. Its a dark sage green with specks of brown. I thought it might be a type of hercules beetle but the thing doesn’t have any pinchers & a small head. The picture was taken in late spring a few years ago. I love this site by the way. My friends think I’m crazy ‘cuz I don’t kill bugs & I’m female. We’re suppose to run screaming I guess.
Nancy S.
Northeast Tennessee
Female Eastern Hercules Beetle
Hi Nancy,
Congratulations on not being afraid to handle harmless insects. This is indeed a female Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus. The larger male has the horns in the family.
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Posted 23 August 2009
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Irridescent Green & Gold trim bug
August 14, 2009
This bug came FLYING at me while on my patio on a sunny Los Angeles afternoon a couple of weeks ago. After chasing me for a bit on my patio (maybe it wanted a sip of my chardonnay?), it attached itself to my screen door, and just hung out (I went inside). Seemed to be missing it’s right leg.
Crystal
Los Angeles, California
Figeater
Hi Crystal,
This is a Green Fruit Beetle, Cotinis mutabilis, also called a Figeater due to its fondness for eating figs. It is also fond of peaches. The Figeater is a common Los Angeles scarab beetle that is generally seen from late July through September.
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Posted 14 August 2009
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Found this while cleaning my pond
August 9, 2009
Yesterday (Aug 
I was cleaning my water lily pond and found this beetle.. The bug is about 3/4 of an inch to an inch long
Frank Scanlan
Coral Springs, FL 33065
Rainbow Scarab
Hi Frank,
This is a female Rainbow Scarab, Phanaeus vindex, a species of Dung Beetle. The male has a single curved horn.
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Posted 09 August 2009
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Giant bee eating Japanese beetle
July 30, 2009
Hello!
While working in my garden, i came across what appeared to be a giant bumblebee eating a Japanese beetle. The bee had a fuzzy abdomen that was striped yellow and black. It was between 1 3/4 ” and 2 ” long. The Japanese beetle was 1/2 ” long. The bee was flying around holding the beetle in it’s mouth. It was huge! Any ideas on what it is?
tree
Floyd county, VA
Bee-Like Robber Fly eats Japanese Beetle
Hi tree,
About a week ago we receive a question if Robber Flies ate Japanese Beetles. We wish your photo had arrived before we answered. Since Japanese Beetles are an invasive exotic species that does considerable damage to ornamental plants, many gardeners would welcome these Robber Flies into their yards, including our own mother in Ohio. This is a Bee-Like Robber Fly in the genus Laphria, which can be distinguished from the genus Mallophora by the antennae. This is explained on BugGuide on the Mallophora genus page thus: “Resemble Laphria, another genus of robbers that mimic bumblebees, but is even hairier and has antennae with a very thin terminal final segment, whereas Laphria has thick antennae.“ Based on images posted to BugGuide, we believe your specimen most closely resembles Laphria grossa, but we would like an expert confirmation on the species.
Bee-Like Robber Fly eats Japanese Beetle
(Believed) female Eastern Hercules Beetle, second photo turned out very good
July 26, 2009
Hi,
I believe this is a female Eastern Hercules Beetle, but I’m not totally sure. It was found on the side of my house in the evening. I live in middle Tennessee. I know you have posted some of these already, but I think the second picture turned out really well.
Matthew Martin
Springfield, TN
- Eastern Hercules Beetle
Hi Matthew,
You are correct. This is a female Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus. The close-up is an interesting angle.
- Eastern Hercules Beetle
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Posted 27 July 2009
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Rhinocerous beetle? in France
July 22, 2009
We found this in our garden in south west France – which is in a wood next to a river – it flew hard into a window one evening and lay around for the next day looking a bit stunned. As you can see it wouldn’t let go of my husband’s shirt and he had to take it off with the bug still attached. He said it was making a ‘pht’ sound – is that likely? She’s still alive in these photos.
Anyway, after lots of looking on your site it seems to be a female rhinocerous beetle of some kind? Is that right? She was about 4cm (an inch and a half) long.
Sue
Ceret, south west France
Pine Chafer from France
Dear Sue,
Your beetle is not a Rhinoceros Beetle, but it is a Scarab Beetle, the same family as a Rhinoceros Beetle. We believe your beetle is a Fruit and Flower Chafer in the subfamily Cetoniinae, but we have not had any luck web searching with that information. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide an answer. Karl are you out there?
Pine Chafer from France
Comment
Hi everybody,
I live in Turkey and we call those ‘May Bug’. This is from genus of ‘Polyphylla’ and can be ‘Polyphylla fullo’. They horrifies some people because they sound ’ssssssss’ when you close’em.
Ed. Note:
A web search of Polyphylla fullo produced a photo that matches the one submitted. We are inclined to agree that we misidentified the Scarab and that is is in reality a June Beetle. The Forestry Images website calls this species a Pine Chafer. We also found additional photos of this beetle feeding on pine.
Karl also comes through
Hi Daniel:
The scarab from France is in the family Melolonthidae, which is sometimes listed as a subfamily of Scarabaeidae, depending on which taxonomic system you choose. The genus is Polyphylla and, although there are probably at least a few similar species, it looks very close to P. fullo. Common names given include June Beetle and Pine Chafer; one reference indicated that the larvae attack the roots of hazelnut. The base color varies between brown and black and the individual in Sue’s photo is a female, since it lacks the prominent pectinate antennae. Regards.
Karl
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Posted 22 July 2009
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Kentucky beetle
July 21, 2009
Having just moved to central Kentucky, we were taking our son to register him at his new school, and right by the front door welcoming the newcomers was this beetle. We asked the locals, but nobody seemed to know what it was. Can you tell us? (My son, BTW, felt much better about the new school after discovering such a cool bug there.)
Curious mother
Richmond, Kentucky
Eastern Hercules Beetle
Dear Curious Mother,
Your beetle is an Eastern Hercules Beetle, Dynastes tityus. It is a male beetle, as evidenced by the horns. Females do not have horns.
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Posted 22 July 2009
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What is this beetle?
July 19, 2009
Found in Moncks Corner, SC near Lake Moultrie, Took more pictures if you would like to see, let me know.
Collin Hodges
Moncks Corner, SC
Ox Beetle
Hi Collin,
We just posted a photo of a Triceratops Beetle, and your Ox Beetle, Strategus antaeus, is a relative in the same tribe, Oryctini. You can read about the Ox Beetle on BugGuide, which states it is found in the “Eastern United States: Connecticut south to Florida, west to Illinois, Oklahoma.”
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Posted 19 July 2009
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What is this Beetle?
July 19, 2009
Found this beetle trying to burrow into the concrete under my front door, so we picked him up and had a good looksie at him. Can’t for the life of me figure out what kind he is. Thought he was a rhinocerous beetle, but can’t find a picture that looks like him. Help!
Jonathan C
Fort Pierce, FL USA
Triceratops Beetle
Dear Jonathan,
Though we often have people write in comparing insects to dinosaurs, like calling the Wheel Bug a Stegosaurus, to the best of our knowledge, this may be the only insect that actually is named for a dinosaur. Your Triceratops Beetle, Phileurus truncatus, is also called a Loving Beetle according to BugGuide which has this information: “Adults come to lights. Larvae feed in rotten logs, reported, in particular, from dead oaks. Presumably, males (?) use horns to defend breeding sites. Lifespan of adults is reported to be quite long (up to two years) in captivity. Reported to have structures for sound production (stridulation) (1). Stridulate softly when handled (P. Coin, Durham, NC 11 July 2007).” BugGuide also has this crazy statement: “Adults have been reported causing cabin fires by coming down chimneys, presumably attracted to fireplace smoke and spreading embers” which we find odd and potentially libelous. We surely hope that statement does not contribute to the unnecessary carnage of this magnificent creature.
Triceratops Beetle
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Posted 19 July 2009
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Grapevine Beetle
July 18, 2009
Found this 3 cm-long beetle a few days ago in a patch of clover on my lawn. From your site I determined that it’s a Grapevine Beetle. I have no grapes, but some of the neighbours probably do.
Ray
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Grapevine Beetle
Hi Ray,
Your identification of the Grapevine Beetle, Pelidnota punctata. This species ranges in color from a very pale yellow to a rusty red, but the spots remain a consistent identification feature.
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Posted 18 July 2009
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