Los Angeles swarms with large green beetles that often collide with people

Los Angeles neighborhoods are currently experiencing a noticeable increase in figeater beetles, large metallic-green insects about an inch long that often fly into people. Assistant curator Megan Barkdull of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County says their clumsy flight results from a mismatch between body size and wing area, not from blindness. Sightings peak in August, following a rise that begins in June and tapers off in the fall, as recorded on the iNaturalist platform.

The beetles thrive on compost, irrigated lawns and fruit trees—habitats created by human activity—and climate change may be expanding their range, which now includes Utah and Colorado. Though they eat soft-skinned fruits, they mainly consume rotting produce and their larvae break down organic material, a role highlighted by UC’s statewide integrated pest management program. Experts advise gently returning any beetle that enters a home rather than crushing it or using pesticides.