Look out for the figeater beetles because they are all over Southern California right now, but just why are these clumsy insect thriving here?
“We have transformed L.A. into a paradise for these beetles,” said Entomologist Megan Barkdull, with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. “I know not everyone will necessarily agree with me, folks that are a little more afraid of insects. They might not feel the same way, but I just think they’re really fun and goofy.”
Barkdull says these vibrant green figeater beetles, found in the southwestern United States and Mexico, have made themselves right at home in L.A.
“If we think about it, you see fig trees growing everywhere like on the side of the freeway. We’ve really created this super hospitable environment for them,” Barkdull said.
Like any good L.A. transplant that came for the weather and stayed for the food, these beetles have absolutely no idea where they’re going.
“I thought they were just targeting me, but it seems like they go for the head. Why is that?”
“They’re just really clumsy, right. So like we talked about they’re big. They’re a lot bigger than most beetles, but they don’t have super strong wings,” Barkdull said.
These fruit lovers are multiplying by the dozens this summer and tend to linger where they can get a good meal. But unlike the mosquito, figeater beetles aren’t interested in feasting on people.
“They are innocent, cleared of all charges,” said Barkdull. “There’s really not a lot to worry about with these guys. They have really weak jaws so while they do eat fruit, they’re actually mostly eating fruit that’s already been damaged by something else, you know maybe a bird took a bite out of it and that let’s the beetle start chewing away.”
They’re a staple of the Southern California summers — beautiful, imperfect creatures finding a home in a city where everyone can belong.
“Try and develop an appreciation for them because I think they are such an iconic part of Southern California summers,” Barkdull said.
Experts say these creepy crawlers should be gone by October and they’ll spend the rest of the year underground.
