Shiny Green Beetles: How To Get Rid Of Metallic Beetle Bugs

Pinterest Hidden Image

You look around your garden and get a post-apocalyptic feel. Your plants have skeletonized leaves or a complete loss of foliage. Then you spot shiny green bugs with bronze wings terrorizing your garden.

Don’t worry. It’s not an apocalypse, but it can be for your garden if you don’t take care of it.

shiny green beetles feedingPin

This is a simple Japanese Beetle infestation in your backyard. These insects are persistent and will not give up easily. They can destroy your gardens’ vegetation.

The Japanese Beetle is biologically known as Popillia Japonica and is easy to recognize.

They are ½” inch long when adults and have a distinct metallic shine in the blue-green color, and their wing covers are bronze. Japanese Beetles have long legs and hair in their thorax region.



Japanese Beetle grubs in the larval stage are fat with a dirty white color and brown heads. They are ¾” inch long and are c-shaped.

Many other insects have such larvae, so it is important to identify if it is the Japanese Beetle larvae before you declare war on them.

How Can I Control A Japanese Beetle Problem?

Japanese Beetles also referred to as shiny green beetles, are a menace and will destroy your garden’s vegetation. If your garden is under attack, the first line of defense is to spray Pyrethrin on the affected plants.

You could also use neem oil extract to spray the plant. These are both organic and won’t cause any damage to your vegetation, but they will make life a little more difficult for the Japanese Beetle.

The green nuance is light compared to other green tiger beetles. Their bright color, clumsy flight, and loud buzzing sound always attract attention. They sometimes swarm on over-ripe fruit that they locate with their keen sense of smell. 

Be sure to read the label of any product you buy before taking any drastic steps. You want to make sure that you have the right product for the infestation that won’t cause any harm to the vegetation in your garden or backyard.

Spray With Neem Oil

Use the Neem oil pesticide for plants at the first sign of attack, as the Neem oil is more of an antifeedant and deterrent.

The Pyrethrin will actually kill the Japanese Beetle, along with other bugs and insects, making life difficult for your garden’s vegetation.

Another method is to handpick the beetles. I know it is not as fun as going strawberry picking, but it is an effective method.

The Japanese Beetle is slow and easy to spot by the shiny metallic green color, making it easy to pick them off.

Hand Picking The Beetles Off

All you need to do is pick the Japanese Beetle off and throw them into a bucket of soap and water. The soap water will make them rest in peace.

The handpicking method is best in the morning when the Japanese Beetles are the least alert.

A prevention method is also available, with delayed gratification. But once the system is in place, the prevention will work wonders for ten years or more.

Nematodes and Milky Spore

First, apply beneficial Nematodes in the springtime before the Japanese Beetle emerges. These kill the grubs that later form the Japanese Beetles.

Second, apply Milky Spore, which also kills the white grubs. Once established in the soil, you won’t have to worry about the Japanese Beetle for years to come.

Another method used is a Japanese Beetle trap. Only use it if you have a large area of space because you want to set it up as far as possible from your actual vegetation.

If you are short of space and the trap is close to the garden, you might as well invite the Japanese Beetles for a housewarming party.

Other Types of Beetles

Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle

The Six-spotted Tiger beetle (Cicindela sexguttata) is one of the shiniest green beetles found in North America.

Its body is completely metallic glossy green. It has large white mandibles which means the species is distinct and easy to identify.

This beetle is a known predator. It feeds on almost all small arthropods and includes spiders and caterpillars.

Common Green June Beetle

The Common Green June beetle (Cotinis nitida) is a common green shiny beetle in states such as Georgia. 

Beetles of this genus are only partially green, as half of their body has a dark gold color.

The specie is known to feast on foliage. Unlike other beetles, this species also eats the veins of leaves, practically leaving nothing behind.

Common Green June Beetles only appear in the second part of June. This leaves sufficient time for gardeners and farmers to take preventive measures. 

These large, metallic green beetles buzz loudly when they fly. They are attracted to ripe and rotting fruit and compost piles. 

Dogbane Leaf Beetle

Dogbane Leaf beetles (Chrysochus auratus) get their names from their exclusive food, dogbane. Common in the Northwest, this species has a shiny metallic body. 

The body has a shiny green nuance with iridescent reflections in direct sunlight. It can appear golden in certain spots depending on how light reflects off its body.

Bugs of this genus are toxic, and many predators avoid them due to their bad taste and toxic nature.

Figeater Beetle

Figeater beetles (Cotinis mutabilis) have a dark green body with yellow bands on the sides of the elytra. 

Bugs of this genus are common in Southwestern US. It’s also seen in gardens where it’s not seen as a major threat.

In extreme cases, this beetle has been responsible for devouring entire crops of fruit. It has been noted to eat grapes.

However, the Figeater beetle is mostly known for drinking sap from cacti and desert-loving trees.

Fiery Searcher Beetle

The elytra of the Fiery Searcher Beetle (Calosoma scrutator) are uniformly glossy green, while the cephalothorax is blue.

These green beetle species are among the most beneficial in the world because they eat a variety of pests.

They are renowned for consuming damaging caterpillars on crops, gardens, and moths.

Fiery Searcher beetles may attack a variety of insects thanks to their huge body (sometimes greater than 30mm) and long mandibles.

Additionally, these beetles produce potent compounds that deter some predators. These potent compounds produced by the Fiery Searcher beetle are known not to scare off other predators like birds and shrews.

Rainbow Scarab

The thorax of the Rainbow Scarab (Phanaeus vindex) is a bright green tint with hints of yellow-brown. This genus of beetle can be identified right away by its large horn.

The Rainbow Scarab, a species known to eat animal dung, is found in Eastern US states. As a result, it should not be handled directly because it may contain parasites.

All kinds of dung, including those from pigs, opossums, and dogs, are consumed by rainbow scarab beetles.

Green Fruit Beetle 

The green beetles are commonly seen flying near the ground or crawling on plants in mid to late summer. 

Green Fruit Beetle (Cotinis mutabilis) Also called the western green beetle or figeater beetle, the green fruit beetle is recognized by its metallic green oval body, clubbed antennae, and bronze color along the wing margins. 

Other identifying features of the green fruit beetle are its horn-like projection on its head, prominent legs, and large size. The green fruit beetle can measure 0.75” to 1.3” (20 – 34 mm) long.  

Virginia Metallic Tiger Beetle

One of the fastest glossy green insects in the world is the Virginia Metallic Tiger Beetle (Tetracha virginica).

When sprinting, these beetles may move at speeds of up to a few miles per hour, which helps them catch prey.

Virginia Metallic Tiger Beetles are predators who outrun other little insects and bugs by moving quickly.

They are dark green in hue, and their head and thorax are glossy. The species’ legs can be either light brown or yellow, depending on the tint.

This post is a brief profile of the description, life cycle, and other pertinent details about the shiny metallic green beetle. 

Fig Beetles 

fig beetle. Fig beetles (Cotinis mutabilis), also known as figeater beetles or green fruit beetles, are a Southwestern species of beetle that careen through the air with the grace of a charging rhinoceros. 

They are loud, they are big (often around an inch long), and they are everywhere right now. 

Fig beetles are gorgeous, metallic-green beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, commonly known as scarab beetles.

JOIN Our FREE Plant Care Newsletter 

By entering your email address you agree to receive a daily email newsletter from Plant Care Today. We'll respect your privacy and unsubscribe at any time.