Here's a close up!! ;-)

Chuy

I'm not usually a fan of bugs like this..scarab beetle came to my mind but I know that isn't it. It is pretty cool looking but it would not be a welcome bug on my trees. Thanks for the pic!

Andrew

I'm pretty sure it's a harmless 'June Bug'

Here is a link that might be useful: June bug info

I get a lot of those in my yard and my husband and I like to watch them. They seem to run into everything and when they hit the metal you hear a ping. Sometimes it takes a couple of times for them to make it over the fence. I did have one bite me one time and had to go to the hospital because my hand blew up. But I had been watering and stick my hand in the middle of a hanging basket fill of flowers. Barb

Yikes!!!! Not sure if I would ever hold one again Barb!!! Thanks for sharing your story! ;)

Chuy

I was told these are Japanese Beetles years ago. Every time I see these I think of how my husband was baby sitting our toddler son (soon to be 37) as I ran errands and when I came back I asked..."what is in Bryan's mouth?" He said I don't know!!! I asked him to open his mouth and this huge green Japanese Beetle fly out and away.... :-)) lesson: ask for references on babysitters.. :-) roxanne

I think "June bugs" are the smaller, more nocturnal beetles that are brown. I think that is a Japanese beetle. They are not graceful fliers and if you've got a fig tree they will love to eat it!

No, Disney, definitely not a Japanese beetle.
Japanese beetles are not found west of the Mississippi river, which means those folks are luckier in that respect than those in the eastern states.
Japanese beetles are much smaller than June bugs---and are almost pretty--with metallic green heads and shiny coppery wing covers.
They have an absolutely insatiable appetite, especially for roses.
Unopened buds, flowers and leaves are all equally relished by this little pest..
They will skeletonize leaves and endlessly gobble up flowers.
There are a few beetles that can be called a June bug--such as one that's also called a Fig Beetle.

There's only one Japanese beetle and they are such destructive pests, that probably every gardener in the eastern US despises them.

Look at the Rose forum if you want to see what kinds of damage they do--and you'll see why they're despised.

Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese beetle with pics

Look up the metallic green fig beetle (Cotinus texana).

I found this: "so named because it is often found feeding on fig fruits during the warm summer months in southern California.

It is also fond of other ripe, juicy fruits, such as peaches and plums. These beetles spend their juvenile larval stage in the ground, often beneath manure piles, compost and haystacks. "

Very pretty Chuy!!

Lazy bones is right.. Japanese beetles are a pest here in Virginia.. They eat so many flowers. They sell traps to get rids of them it's so bad..

As a child, I would try and capture as many as I could.. Eww... Lol!!!

But yours is different. I hope it doesn't have lunch on your blooms!!

Have a great day!!

Laura

Huh, always called them Japanese beetles here in CA but appears to be a misnomer. Fig beetle sounds apt, as that's where I definitely see them! Thanks guys! I love entomology and all sorts of critters.

fig beetle- eats fruits: figs, plums, etc. Likes to hang in plumeria flowers but I have seen no damage caused.

Although the OP has June bugs, in the interest of completely correct info...it seems that there are isolated pockets of Japanese beetles west of the Mississippi river (including CA). The link below has a picture comparing June bugs and Japanese beetles with a penny to gauge their sizes.

Here is a link that might be useful: June bugs vs Japanese beetles CA Dept of Food and Agriculture