Purple Beetle?
Location: Bison Ranch, Arizona
September 8, 2010 2:43 am
I came across this beautiful creature in Bison Ranch, Arizona. I’ve been able to find other pictures of it online, but I still can’t find what it is called. Any ideas?
Signature: Kae
Hi Kae,
Your beetle is one of the Pleasing Fungus Beetles but it has no unique species common name, just the generic family name. It is Gibbifer californicus and we have not posted a recent image, so your letter is a welcomed addition to our website. Many individuals of this species are gray or bluish in coloration, so your purple individual is quite striking. According to BugGuide: “Adults feed on nectar, pollen, and some fungi. Larvae feed on wood-destroying fungi” and “female lays eggs in bark crevices of fallen rotting logs; adults emerge in summer.”