Fig Beetle

The fig beetle, also called the figeater beetle, is a large flower chafer in the scarab family (subfamily Cetoniinae). It is one of the biggest and most conspicuous beetles encountered in gardens across the arid Southwest, easily recognized by its heavy, droning flight.

Despite the name, fig beetles feed on a wide variety of ripe and overripe fruit, not figs exclusively, and are frequently seen visiting backyard fruit trees, grapevines, and compost bins where fermenting organic material attracts them.

Ecologically, the species is notable for its larvae, which develop in compost, mulch, and rich organic soil rather than living plant roots, making the fig beetle grub an important decomposer of organic matter distinct from many other root-feeding scarab grubs.

• Large, broad, oval body with a somewhat flattened top; dull matte green above and iridescent copper-orange to green beneath.
• Thick legs and a heavy, robust build typical of flower chafers.
• Flies with an audible, buzzing hum and often flies somewhat clumsily, bumping into obstacles.
• Lookalikes: distinguished from June beetles by its larger size, duller green (rather than brown) coloring, and iridescent underside.

Fig beetles are most common in the warm, arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, thriving wherever compost, mulch, or organic-rich garden soil supports their larvae. Adults are active on warm days from late spring through summer, drawn to gardens, orchards, and compost piles, especially where ripe or fermenting fruit is present.

Adult fig beetles feed on the juices of ripe, split, or overripe fruit such as figs, peaches, and grapes, often gathering in small groups on fallen or damaged fruit. Their flight is loud and heavy, and they are commonly seen bumbling through gardens on warm afternoons. The larvae, thick white grubs, live in compost piles and organic-rich soil, feeding on decaying plant matter; they are notable for crawling on their backs using ripples of their body rather than walking on their short legs.

Fig beetles undergo complete metamorphosis with one generation per year in most areas. Eggs are laid in compost or rich organic soil, and the grubs feed on decaying organic matter through summer and fall, growing to a large size before overwintering as larvae. Pupation occurs in the soil in late spring, and adults emerge in early summer to feed and mate, completing the annual cycle.