Creature Feature: Figeater Beetles

Beautiful, clumsy, and harmless, figeater beetles show up in late summer, unintentionally terrorizing the uninitiated across San Diego.

Clumsily colliding with human heads,

We claw their hair, while they flee with dread.

Shining and armored, we're the smallest of knights,

But grace is for someone with far better flight.

All we seek is the sweet stuff, a nice fruity treat.

We're as harmless as butterflies, just give us a few feet.

Okay, maybe poetry isn't for me, but I absolutely adore figeater beetles! These little, green jewels are buzzing all over the city right now, striking terror in all who misunderstand them.

Figeaters do not bite or sting, but they are excellent pollinators and make nutritious snacks for the birds and mammals that can catch them. Often mistaken for the highly invasive Japanese beetles found further east, ours are native to the Southwest and Central America.

If a figeater flies too close for comfort, take a deep breath and know that the worst it can do is damage its own wings on your head. If you watch it closely, you might get a glimpse of its purple, iridescent underside.