Green June Beetle

The green June beetle is a member of the scarab beetle family (Scarabaeidae), within the flower chafer subfamily (Cetoniinae). It is a large, conspicuous beetle common across much of the eastern and central United States, easily noticed for its bold coloring and loud, buzzing daytime flight.

This species is notable for being one of the few common North American scarabs that is primarily active and flying during the day rather than at night, often seen zooming low over lawns and gardens on hot summer afternoons. Its close relative, the fig eater beetle, is found in the western United States and shares very similar habits, sometimes leading to overlapping common names.

Ecologically, adult green June beetles feed on ripening and overripe fruit, while their large grubs live in the soil, feeding on organic matter and occasionally plant roots, giving the species dual significance in orchards, gardens, and turf.

• Large, broad-bodied beetle about 20–25 mm long.
• Velvety matte green upper body with metallic bronze to yellow-green margins along the wing covers.
• Underside often shows a bright, shiny metallic green or gold sheen.
• Stout legs with strong digging claws adapted for burrowing.
• Lookalikes include the closely related fig eater beetle of the western U.S. and various other green scarabs, but the combination of matte green upperparts, bronze edging, and loud daytime buzzing flight is characteristic.

Common throughout the eastern and central United States, particularly in areas with sandy or well-drained soils suitable for larval development, including lawns, gardens, orchards, and compost-rich areas. Adults are active during the day in mid-to-late summer, especially on hot, sunny afternoons, while larvae live below ground in soil or thick organic matter such as compost and manure piles year-round.

Adults fly with a loud, low-pitched buzzing hum, often skimming just above lawns and garden beds in search of ripening or overripe fruit such as peaches, figs, and grapes, on which they feed. They are strong but somewhat clumsy fliers and are frequently seen in aggregations around fruit trees or compost piles during peak summer activity. The soil-dwelling larvae, sometimes called green June beetle grubs, feed on decaying organic matter and can occasionally damage turfgrass roots while burrowing, and are notable for an unusual habit of crawling on their backs across the soil surface at night. Within the ecosystem, adults contribute to fruit decomposition processes, while larvae function as soil detritivores.

Development is complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult. Eggs are laid in rich, organic soil during summer; the large white grubs feed on decaying organic matter through fall, overwinter in a dormant state underground, then resume feeding in spring before pupating in early summer. Generally one generation is completed per year. Adults emerge in mid-summer, feed and mate for several weeks, and the cycle continues with new eggs laid before the adults die off by late summer.