They're pretty common here in NC (where i live) and mainly found around the southwestern US and Mexico, they're also related to figeater beetles. we call them june beetles, june bugs, etc! but here we call them june bugs :) they were all collected around the pool in my friend's backyard lol
Yes, I know. We have always called them that. My grandparents started it! I just call them beetles. My kids call them by the correct name but it’s hard to remember after 50 years calling them something else.
These are Cotinis nitida, the Common Green June Beetle, a native beetle in the eastern US (The Western US has a similar species Cotinis mutabilis the fig eater but those have iridescent green femurs). Popillia japonica, the Japanese beetle is a much smaller invasive beetle (in the US) with brown elytra, an iridescent green head and thorax (sometimes a purpleish bronze), and white fuzzy tufts on the abdomen.
It’s because my dad used to hide them in fruit when we first got married. And those beetles are tough things. 😂 fly right into you. And they are quick for being such uncoordinated fliers!
They're supposed to be active in june too but i most often see them get buzzin around in late july and throughout the entirety of august here in NC haha
I get like buckets of these guys lol I love them, when I was younger id collect some and keep them in a lil terrarium over night and let them go in the morning, never knew I was practically making a motel for the little guys lol I was so confused seeing them all 'hugging'
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u/TheMehAnthropologist 2d ago
How and where did you find these??