Fig Eater Beetle ~ Cotinis mutabilis

The Fig Eater Beetle is in the Scarab group of Egyptian fame. The Fig Eater Beetle is not quite so scary even if they are huge and the grubs are awesome or hideous depending on your frame of mind. The Fig Eater Beetle spends most of its life as a grub underground or at least under the mulch. The grubs primarily eat decaying bark and leaves, not so scary so far. The grubs can be a problem for new plants as most potting soil is almost entirely composed of decaying compost. And the fine roots that get eaten along the way may not be the goal, just an unfortunate by-catch so to speak. The grubs can get to an inch and a quarter long and thick as your thumb.

The adult Fig Eater Beetle prefers decaying fruit, cactus, or flowers and pollen. This one is grazing on a Shasta Daisy. The adult Fig Eater Beetle can emerge between April and July. The Fig Eater Beetle resembles the June Beetle from the eastern US but is native from coastal California to Texas. The range of the Fig Eater Beetle has been expanding with gardens that are irrigated and mulched becoming increasingly common.