Green june beetle
Its grubs move by crawling on their backs, pushing themselves along upside down with legs waving in the air instead of walking normally.
| Where | Farmland, lawns and woodland edges |
|---|---|
| Size | 15 to 27 mm body length |
| When | June to September |
The green June beetle is a large metallic green scarab with gold to brownish margins on its wing covers and a short blunt horn above the mouth. Adults fly with a loud buzzing sound similar to a bumblebee.
Grubs live underground for about a year, feeding on roots and decaying matter, and move across the soil surface at night by crawling on their backs. Adults are active by day in summer, feeding on ripe and rotting fruit, corn and sap, and June through September they are sometimes drawn to lights after dark.
Traits
Habitat
Farmland
Colour
Green, Metallic
Active
Day and night
To people
Not harmful to touch, though large numbers can damage lawns, orchards and ripening fruit.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Found mainly in the southwestern United States and Mexico rather than in the east, and has shiny green legs, while the green June beetle has tan legs.
Questions
Is the Green june beetle dangerous to people?
Not harmful to touch, though large numbers can damage lawns, orchards and ripening fruit.
When can you see the Green june beetle?
The Green june beetle can be seen from June to September, by day and at night.
Plate retouched from a photo by kenkneidel, CC0, iNaturalist Licence
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Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.