10 Beetles Found in Florida

Florida is often thought of as a paradise for various lizards, some more savory than others. The truth is, there’s more going on in Florida than just lizards. As a hot state, it’s home to many bugs, and beetles in Florida are no exception.

Seven beetles are considered to be fairly common in the state of Florida, but there’s no sense in stopping there. Ten seems like a well-rounded number. Besides, nearly 200 types of beetles are roaming around Florida, from the panhandle to the mangroves of Marathon.

Beetles are industrious and often fascinating little creatures, though they can be incredibly destructive. Some beetles make their way onto the “common” list simply because of their voracious appetite for carpeting and the dried goods in pantries. Some, however, are quite useful. With that being said, here are 10 beetles in Florida, along with some information about their personalities.

1. Ant-Like Longhorn Beetle

Scientists must have run out of interesting names when it came to this little beetle. For reasons of familiarity, this particular beetle received the additional moniker “ant-like.” Its scientific name is Cyrtophorus verrucosus, and the ant-like longhorn beetle differentiates itself with its various colors.

Ant-likes typically have a red or rusty brown abdomen with a darker, larger head. They also don’t feature the segmentations common on ants. Ant-likes are on a similar scale (size-wise), with various ants native to Florida. They love flowers that produce a ton of nectar, and unlike real ants, ant-like beetles can fly.

2. Antelope Beetle

Another beetle, named for its resemblance to an entirely separate species, is the antelope beetle or Dorcus parellelus. One of the largest beetle species in Florida, the antelope beetle resembles what most people probably imagine when they think about beetles.

Their bodies are squarish with rounded corners and all black. The head is particularly intimidating with a large pair of pincers. Fortunately, this beetle is pretty harmless and, despite the nasty-looking pincers, can’t cause people physical harm.

The back half of the Antelope beetle is glossy black, like the front half, and usually (but not always) features a series of lines running from front to back. These lines help it blend in, making it look like nuts and leaves on the ground.

3. American Carrion Beetle

The American carrion beetle is one of the most frequently sighted beetles in the state of Florida and beyond. It’s not very flashy, with a broad, flat body and a pale, half-circle head. Its back is blackish in appearance and, on closer inspection, features a rough, textured surface. Its head is a half circle of very pale orange with a black blotch located directly in the center.

Their name is an apt description of their habits. American carrion beetles are known for crowding into dead carcasses, such as roadkill, and feeding on the material. It may sound pretty disgusting, but thanks to these little fellas, carrion decays much more rapidly than it would under normal circumstances.

4. Asian Multi-Colored Lady Beetle

Asian Multi-Colored Lady Beetles (harmonia axyridis) are commonly known simply as ladybugs. There are a lot of ladybugs in Florida, and despite their very pretty and attractive looks, they will efficiently decimate your flower garden. This is especially true of the Asian lady beetle, one of the worst beetles in Florida regarding garden infestations.

There are also native lady beetles in Florida, and the Asian multicolored lady beetles will kill them on sight. They’ve had a lot of success pushing Florida’s native lady beetles completely out of the state. Scientists believe that the Asian lady beetles arrived on the scene back in the early 1970s. They’re quickly taking over the pretty red ladybug category regardless of when they arrived.

5. Ashy Gray Lady Beetle

The Asian multicolored lady beetle has something of its own to be afraid of. While the Asian lady beetles ravage gardens, the ashy gray lady beetles defend them. For that reason alone, they are fiercely popular amongst Florida’s gardeners. Ashy grays will wreak havoc on the many beetles and bugs threatening gardens.

An Ashy Gray’s babies will consume up to 400 aphids before they reach adulthood. These are not the same ladybug species as the native ladybugs or the Asian variations. However, the ashy gray ladybug (Olla v-nigrim) belongs to the same family. Ashy Grays are typically a little larger and far paler in comparison.

6. Andrew’s Snail Eating Beetle

Back to the larger beetles, Andrew’s Snail Eating Beetles (Scaphinotus andrewsii) are similar in appearance to antelope beetles, except they have much longer legs and a larger gap when it comes to ground clearance.

They also differ in their color. In dark light, they have the typical deep black color. If you spot one in the sun, however, you’ll notice a bright sheen that resembles an oil slick on water. The sheen has a distinctive rainbow appearance. What you might take for black at first glance is a deep purple or very dark blue.

7. American Oil Beetle

Speaking of oil, that brings us to the American oil beetle. Unlike Andrew’s snail-eating beetle, the American oil beetle does look like a rich, black oil deposit with legs. It features a wide, oval body resembling plated armor in the sun. Its head is elongated from the abdomen, and the antenna is segmented and long.

The American oil beetle belongs to the family of blister beetles, so never slap at one of these if you catch it crawling across your arm. While it won’t eat through your skin, the chemicals in its body can create burns and blisters. For the most part, American oil beetles won’t release the chemical unless you attempt to put a hand on it.

8. Giant Waterbug

This is one of those intimidating beetles that half resembles a giant, razor-sharp pincer, with the other half strongly resembling a cockroach. A giant waterbug can grow up to 4″ long, but it’s rarely spotted any larger than 2″. As their name implies, they prefer the water, especially sluggish-moving streams.

An interesting feature of the giant waterbug’s anatomy is its snorkel. This snorkel is nothing more than a simple breathing tube. The giant waterbug extends out as it hides just below the water’s surface, awaiting its prey. Their forelegs and bodies are so powerful they can even capture and consume small fish, lizards, frogs, and salamanders.

Giant Waterbugs only compete with rhinoceros beetles in terms of the largest beetles in Florida. They are massive but generally harmless to human beings.

9. Southern Pine Beetle

Most people think of palm trees when they think of Florida, but pine trees easily outnumber Florida’s native palms. It’s not even close. The southern pine beetle flourishes in such a pine-rich environment. They like to burrow into the outer layers of their chosen pine tree to lay their eggs and rest.

Like the antelope beetle, southern pine beetles feature a squarish body, rounded at the corners, with large heads and an all-black coloration. They also feature interesting lines/grooves that often run down the backs of traditional black beetles. They don’t start black or dark brown, either.

Over time, as a new southern pine beetle grows, it changes colors from a cream-white to tan-brown, to red-brown, to dark brown or black. They aren’t very large beetles, usually between 2 and 4 mm. However, they are capable of causing a lot of damage to pine trees, especially if a lot of them gather on one tree.

10. Tiger Beetles

Tiger beetles look nothing like a tiger. They are reflective, deep green, and fairly small, with an ant-like body. They often feature bright yellow markings on the edges of their backs, making for a unique color combination against the vibrant green, blue, or bronze that dominates the rest of their bodies.

The largest tiger beetles will only reach about 1/2,” and it’s just big enough to tackle their favorite food—ants. They will feast on several insect species smaller than themselves, but they are particularly inclined to eat ants.

Tiger beetles have heads larger than the rest of their bodies and put their large mandibles to good use in ant-feeding time. They can also fly, are very quick and agile, and see almost anything they want to eat, regardless of the time of day or night.

Final Thoughts

While seven of the beetles on the list are fairly common in Florida, the other three aren’t rare by any means. If you live in Florida, the odds are good that you’ve encountered every beetle on this list at one time or another.

For the most part, the beetles on this list are harmless, with the unfortunate exception of the Asian multicolored lady beetle. If you encounter them in your yard and have a garden, be very cautious. Beetles are fascinating bugs and are mostly harmless to people. Though some look incredibly lethal, the reality is the opposite.

Summary of 10 Beetles Found in Florida

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