Subject: Green Beetle with bushy looking legs: definitely can fly.
Geographic location of the bug: Northern CA – Sunnyvale.
Date: 08/21/2018
Time: 09:36 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: This guy was hanging out in my compost bin with friends. My guess is that they were grubs and just emerged. Are they Japanese Beetles?
Thx
How you want your letter signed: Chuck
Dear Chuck,
Your beetle is a Figeater, a Green June Beetle that is quite common in California. The larvae, known as Crawlybacks, are often found in compost piles. The “bushy looking legs” you mentioned are of great interest to us. They look like phoretic Mites that often use large beetles like Sexton Beetles as transportation from location to location. We have an image in our archives of some eastern Green June Beetles with phoretic Mites.
Thanks Daniel,
I can grab one of the beetles for you? I closed the lid and they are still there. I usually turn the pile over quite often but have been away for travel: when I opened the lid, those guys were hanging out.
Thanks again.
Chuck
Thanks for the offer Chuck, but we have plenty of Figeaters in Southern California.