Pest Profile

Photo credit: Josh Shoemaker

Common Name: Figeater (also known by many other common names, including Chinese beetle, fig beetle, green beetle and green fruit beetle)

Scientific Name: mutabilis

Order and Family: Coleoptera:

Size and Appearance: Figeater are sometimes confused with the June beetle, , or the , japonica. However, the Japanese beetle is much smaller and easily distinguished from the figeater beetle by its appearance. The June beetle is on average slightly smaller than the figeater beetle, but more detailed examination is required to determine the correct species. Also, June beetles are commonly an eastern species, while figeater beetles are found in the southwestern US, but there is considerable area of overlap.

Length (mm) Appearance Egg Average 2.3 White, oval shaped. mm in length

Larva/Nymph Up to 50 mm Grub like, white to brownish color; the larvae move on their back with their small legs facing up.

Adult 20 – 34 mm Often an iridescent green color, but there is variation in this species, with some black or colored. They have a tan border on the margins of their elytra. Pupa (if applicable) 27 – 35 mm 20 – 25 mm in width; Mature pupae are yellowish.

Type of feeder (Chewing, sucking, etc.): Grubs and adults have chewing mouthparts.

Host plant/s: Adult figeater beetles feed on a variety of foods, including figs, , , , and the sap of prickly cactus. They are not very effective at tearing the skin of some fruits, so they often rely on birds, other , or rodents to damage the fruit before the figeater beetle can feed. They are especially attracted to fermenting fruit. Figeater beetle larvae live a few inches under the surface but will come up to feed on decomposing organic matter.

Description of Damage: Adults emerge mid to late summer and are active during the day. Though they feed on many crops, figeater beetles are not considered an economically important pest, but can potentially be damaging in large numbers to figs, peaches, and grapes. Around homes, they can frighten some people due to their large size and loud buzz when flying. Figeater beetles can fly a relatively long distance and are highly attracted to ripe fruit, and the odors of fermentation and manure. In the late fall, female figeater beetles lay their eggs a few inches below the surface in decaying organic matter, especially mulch, compost piles or manure. Grubs are commonly found in accumulated manure and in compost piles. Screening compost or turning frequently, as well as removing manure, dropped leaves and clippings are helpful in managing figeater beetle populations.

References:

Faulkner, D. (n.d.). Figeater Beetle. Retrieved from http://archive.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/inverts/coti- mut.html

Goodrich, M. A. (1966). A Revision of the Genus Cotinis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)1. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 59(3), 550–568. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/59.3.550

Green fruit beetle—Cotinis mutabilis. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/PESTS/grfruitbeetle.html

Nichol, Andrew A. (1935). A study of the fig beetle, Cotinis texana Casey. Tucson, Ariz.: University of Arizona.

Species Cotinis mutabilis - Green Fig Beetle. (2019). Retrieved from https://bugguide.net/node/view/29926

Triplehorn, C. A., & Johnson, N. F. (2005). Borror and DeLong's introduction to the study of insects (7th ed.). Brooks/Cole.