Discover 10 Types of Gray Beetles

Beetles are insects that come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. After all, there are over 350,000 species of these insects, making beetles the most numerous species of creatures on the planet. While it makes sense for them to be black or brown like many other creatures, do they come in gray? Learn about 10 different types of gray beetles found around the world.

Find out what they look like, how big they can grow, special facts about them, and where they live!

1. Sculptured Pine Borer Beetle

The sculptured pine borer beetle is a large, metallic, wood-boring beetle. They can grow about 1.25 inches long. These insects are known for having highly textured and patterned elytra. These insects tend to live throughout North America. At least, Chalcophora virginiensis lives in that area.

The beetles are noisy flyers that come in a variety of colors. The colors include brown, green, black, gray, and brown. Apparently, these beetles can rest on sidewalks or may even land on people that are wearing very bright clothing.  

2. Ashy Gray Lady Beetle

The ashy gray lady beetle belongs to the same family as the common red beetles called ladybugs in the United States. However, it does not resemble the red ladybug. The beetle’s species name is Olla v-nigrum, and they live in North America, Central America, and parts of Oceania.

The ashy gray lady beetle usually has a gray or light tan body. The coloration is not solid, though. The insects have black spots on the elytra and thorax. This beetle has a dome-shaped body, and it only grows about 0.2 inches at its highest measure.

3. Margined Blister Beetle

The margined blister beetle, Epicauta funebris, is interesting because it’s one of the rare beetles that can cause some harm to a human being. These critters secrete cantharidin. That chemical causes human skin to blister, leaving a painful reminder not to handle or squish them.

The beetles have a thin body, with an abdomen that is much larger than their thorax and head. The insect’s elytra are black throughout with an outline of gray or white on the border. This critter is far blacker than it is gray, but it still has enough gray to be distinct.

4. Boll Weevil

The first boll weevils arrived in the U.S. during the late 1800s, and they had spread to the Carolinas by 1922. Why is that significant? Well, the boll weevil destroys cotton crops, and that was a major agricultural product in much of the southern and mid-southern states at the time. They’re probably the most harmful types of gray beetles that exist today.

A great deal of effort went into ensuring that boll weevils don’t have as much interest in eating cotton any longer.

These weevils have a wide, almost rectangular body with sparse hair and coloration that includes brown and gray. They also have extended mouthparts that resemble an anteater.

5. Checkered Beetle

The vast majority of the checkered beetle isn’t gray. Instead, much of the body is red, black, or orange, . Yet, some of these critters have bands of gray or gray on the bottom of their abdomens. Enoclerus eximius is a medium-sized beetle that measures less than half an inch in length.

This species is small, measuring about 0.4 inches when fully grown. Furthermore, their range is limited to the western part of North America. They are interesting beetles to look at, though.

6. Banded Alder Borer Beetle

The banded alder borer beetle is a beautiful beetle specimen. Officially identified as Rosalia funebris, the beetle is known for its striking appearance. The insect’s elytra are banded with black and white or black and gray, and the same pattern continues on its legs and antennae.

The antennae are very long. In fact, the antennae of male banded alder borer beetles are longer than its body. These large beetles can grow as large as 1.5 inches or slightly more in length. Also, they are drawn to places that have been freshly painted, possibly because a chemical in paint mimics a beetle pheromone.

7. Northeastern Pine Sawyer

The northeastern pine sawyer beetle is one of the largest beetles in the eastern U.S. when accounting for total body size. The largest members of these species can measure up to two inches long, making them very long types of gray beetles. Males have antennae that measure an additional two inches, while females have antennae that measure up to three inches long. All told, these critters are massive.

The northeastern pine sawyer beetle has a speckled pattern of brown and gray across its body. These flying beetles don’t harm humans, and they’re not major pests. Yet, they’re interesting to observe.

8. Little Leaf Notcher

The little leaf notcher weevil is a known pest that eats a lot of vegetation. They attack the roots of citrus trees as well as the leaves. As a result, humans take significant pest control measures against them. Currently, they are only located in Florida in the United States. This beetle can be tough to spot given its small size. The largest they get is about a quarter of an inch. They are white and gray critters with relatively large eyes for their size.

9. Pleasing Fungus Beetle

The Gibbifer californicus species of beetle is a medium-sized beetle that measures up to about 0.75 inches long. The beetle can come in several colors, including blue, black gray, and even purple. The beetle’s elytra have a dimpled pattern on it. Currently, they’re only found in Mexico and part of the western states in the U.S. in North America.  

10. Southwestern Eyed Click Beetle

The southwestern eyed click beetle has an intriguing pattern on its body. This critter’s elytra are speckled with black and white with some gray mixed in. The thorax has two black spots that are bordered by white or gray. When viewed from above, these spots resemble eyes. They can measure upwards of two inches long, making them some of the longest types of gray beetles. Lastly, they’re found in Mexico and the American Southwest.

Generally, fewer types of gray beetles exist than black and brown beetles. Still, gray beetles can be located throughout the United States and beyond. Some of them are dire pests, and others are beneficial to humans.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/Michael Clay Smith