I hate those things. I wish they'd learn how to fly properly.

I was impressed with this one.... it kept flying! I wanted it to alight so I could find out what the heck it was... then it dawned on me that it was a beetle, and then fruit beetle. Thank goodness it flew out of my yard! I hope I never see another one again.

I need to inform the entymologists that these guys aren't limited to the LA area... but are 400 miles north in Sacramento... probably since global warming, which is why I have never seen one before.

The original egg-mass probably arrived on back-yard fruit brought from one area to the next.

Heathen,

nothing so exotic as global warming. Fig beetles aren't native to California and their climate adaptability is far greater than their present distribution. There are no controls on it at this time so it isn't surprising they have spread to your neck of the woods. The good news is that they mostly affect overripe fruits. Their grubs are good for compost though.

Ryan

Eggs didn't arrive on fruit. Instead, the beetles lay their eggs in rotting stuff, aka compost and the like.

Beyond that, it wasn't attacking. Instead, it was just a klutzy flyer.

What is going ON? There are TONS of them out there today! I have seen 6 of them! EEEEEEK! There are no compost piles in the yards surrounding my house, and I must have killed fifteen larva in my pile this winter. 2 of them, I think it was 2, maybe one going away and coming back, just rammed into my office window. I am getting afraid to go outside, I might get eaten!

As a kid we used them for BB gun target practice- pretty hard to kill as I remember.

Badmiton rackets are the best weapon to whack them with. Often times we'd just stun them, and then tie a string onto their leg and they'd fly around like a teathered helicopter.

To kill them enmasse, let a peach rot on an exposed branch on the tree. By evening time, you will have a dozen or so feeding on the dripping fruit. Take a plastic grocery sack, and quickly bag the end of the branch, and scoop both peach and bugs off and quickly tie up the bag and trash it.

Wow... so they are a regular thing down in So. Cal? I have never seen one before, but I've lived in No. Cal all my life.

I have always lived in SoCal and these things have been around as long as I can remember. They give me the creeps, too, but then again, so do most bugs, especially unpredictable jumpers and fliers (ie, crickets, grasshoppers, june bugs, etc.).

The previous owners of our house had 4 peach trees growing along the side yard and we removed them immediately. The next year when I dug a bed for a garden, there must have been a hundred grubs in the 4 by 12 foot area. I was grossed out. I kept killing them, but I missed a bunch because for a couple of years, we had these things like crazy! It's been about 5 years now and I don't see the grubs anymore, although yesterday we did have a beetle trying to commit suicide by ramming repeatedly into the slider. We were actually entertained!

I've never been bitten by one, only had them buzz my head. I don't think they bite people.

Michelle

I know... I've watched too many horror movies... :o)
I didn't get the perspective on this right...
{{gwi:544276}}

Heathen,

their mouthparts are too weak to harm humans, they are only able to feed on overripe or very soft fruits (hence the designation "Green Fig Beetle" by UCD IPM pestnotes). I've lived with them all my life and I find it strange not seeing them here in San Luis Obispo.

Ryan