Brown beetles encompass a remarkably diverse group of insects. With over 400000 species worldwide beetles represent the largest order of animals on Earth. Their high diversity means beetles have adapted to thrive in virtually every terrestrial habitat. Many beetle species exhibit signature brown coloration, making them a common backyard sight. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most frequently encountered brown beetles and their unique traits.
What Makes a Beetle Brown?
Beetle exoskeletons contain pigments that give them their color. Melanin is a common pigment producing dark brown and black hues. Beetles also get color from polycyclic quinones, pteridines, and carotenoids. The exact pigments present determine the shade of brown. For example, light brown beetles may have less melanin and more yellowish pteridines. Some beetles even show a mix of browns blended together.
Diverse Species Show Brown Coloration
Many different beetle families include brown representatives Here are a few you may spot in your own backyard
Scarab Beetles
This family features over 30,000 species worldwide. In North America, brown scarab beetles like Japanese beetles, masked chafers, and May beetles emerge as adults in late spring and summer. Their larvae are grubs that live underground and feed on plant roots.
Longhorn Beetles
Over 20,000 longhorn beetle species exist. They are recognizable by their long antennae. In the U.S., look for reddish-brown stag beetles and tan brown prionid beetles in woodlands and forests.
Weevils
With over 60,000 species, weevils make up one of the largest beetle families. They have signature long snouts. Watch for red-brown oak timberworm weevils and dark brown clover leaf weevils feeding on leaves and vegetation.
Ground Beetles
Over 2,500 ground beetle species inhabit North America. Look for metallic dark brown caterpillar hunters prowling the soil and leaf litter. Their larvae are also predators.
Rove Beetles
Around 63,000 species of rove beetles exist worldwide. They often mimic other insects like wasps or earwigs. Search the ground for fast-moving brown rove beetles with elongate bodies.
Ladybugs
While most people think of red and orange ladybugs, many species are brown. Scan leaves for tan to brown painted lady beetles with spotty wing patterns. Their larvae hunt for aphids.
Reasons for Brown Coloration
Diverse beetle species showcase shades of brown for important reasons:
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Camouflage – A brown beetle blends into bark, soil, leaf litter, vegetation, and other surroundings as protection from predators.
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Warning coloration – Some brown beetles secrete foul-tasting or poisonous chemicals. Their drab hue warns potential predators to stay away.
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Thermoregulation – Darker brown helps some diurnal beetles absorb heat, while lighter browns may reflect heat in desert-dwellers.
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Sexual signaling – Lighter brown patches or stripes help beetles recognize mates and attract breeding partners.
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Mimicry – Many brown beetles copy tree bark texture or resemble wasps/ants to fool predators.
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Seasonal shifts – Some beetles take on more brown hues in drier weather and fade in wet conditions.
Common North American Brown Beetles
Brown beetles populate backyards across North America. Here is an overview of some of the most frequently encountered brown beetle species:
Oriental Beetle – A small metallic brown beetle with dark spots on its thorax. Often found in lawns and ornamental plants.
Japanese Beetle – This scarab beetle has copper-brown wing covers and a dark green thorax. It is a serious agricultural pest.
Masked Chafer – A small June beetle with brown and tan stripes running across its wing covers. Its grubs damage lawns.
Ten-lined June Beetle – Recognizable by the white stripes running lengthwise down its brownish wings. Its larvae feed in rotten wood.
Grapevine Beetle – A scarab beetle species that feeds on grapevines. It has bright brown wings with black spots and margins.
Brown Prionid Beetle – A large longhorn beetle that bores into pine trees. It has banded antennae and mostly brown to reddish-brown coloring.
Red-brown Stag Beetle – This large longhorn beetle has an imposing appearance with its dark brown body and large mandibles.
Brown Rove Beetle – A ground-dwelling beetle that resembles an earwig. Look for its thin brown body moving quickly at soil level.
Variable Carpet Beetle – Tiny brown and black beetles that damage fabrics and carpets inside homes. They grow under 0.25 inches long.
Painted Lady Beetle – A beneficial ladybug species with variable brown, orange, and cream markings on its back. It feeds on aphids and other pests.
Forked Fungus Beetle – This bark-like beetle feeds on fungus growing on tree bark. Its brown texture provides good camouflage.
Cedar Beetle – A tiny cylindrical brown beetle that bores into old or decaying cedar wood. It grows just 0.1 – 0.2 inches long.
Twig Pruner – The larvae of this longhorn beetle hollow out small twigs of elm, oak, and hickory trees. Look for the adult’s brown wings with black spots.
Beetle Habitats
Given the immense diversity of brown beetles, they occupy nearly every habitat on land. Here are some places you may encounter them:
- Lawns, turf, and pastures
- Gardens, orchards, and agricultural fields
- Under logs, leaves, rocks, and other ground debris
- In ant and wasp nests
- On trees feeding on bark, sap, or fungus
- Inside homes infesting stored products, carpets, and fabrics
- In dead or decaying logs and timber
- At lights around homes and urban areas
- Forests, woodlands, rainforests, and jungles
- Deserts, grasslands, meadows, and scrubland
- Freshwater wetlands, ponds, and lake edges
Brown beetles play vital ecological roles no matter where they occur. They recycle nutrients, aerate soil, prey on pests, pollinate plants, and serve as food for other wildlife. Though some species damage crops, trees, and lumber, most coexist harmlessly with humans.
Watching and Photographing Brown Beetles
Observing and photographing brown beetles in your neighborhood can be a fun hobby. Here are some tips:
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Learn beetle sighting hotspots like woodpiles, trees, and flowerbeds.
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Invest in a good macro lens to capture all the intricate beetle details.
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Use shallow depth of field for artistic background blur.
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Add fill flash to illuminate shadows on the beetle’s texture.
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Adjust your position low to the ground or under the beetle’s level.
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Move slowly and stay quiet to avoid startling your subject.
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Consider using a tripod for best results and sharpness.
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Carry multiple memory cards to save all your great beetle shots.
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Share and discuss your images online to connect with other insect fans.
With a bit of practice and patience, anyone can master the art of beetle photography. You’ll gain a whole new appreciation for beetle diversity once you view them close up.
The Worth of Brown Beetles
Though most people overlook them, humble brown beetles support whole ecosystems and economies. Learning to identify local beetles helps us understand nature in our own backyards. Furthermore, scientists have developed biopesticides from beetle bacterium and chemical extracts from longhorned beetles show promise against antibiotic resistant staph infections. Beetle forewings even inspired prototypes for lightweight aerospace materials. Brown beetles truly represent one of evolution’s most ingenious inventions!
What are all those little brown beetles on the porch?
Questions about this information? Contact us. August 04, 2016
Updated from an original article written by Dave Smitley, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Entomology.
Asiatic garden beetles have had a big summer in mid-Michigan. Adult beetles are mostly a nuisance, but may chew the outer edges of leaves of many yard and garden plants.
Asiatic garden beetle, Maladera castanea (Arrow). Photo: Purdue University.
If you live in Michigan anywhere south of Lansing, you have probably noticed lots of little (0.375 inch), cinnamon-brown beetles on your porch, in the garage or on the ground around any bright outdoor lights. The Asiatic garden beetle has spread from Indiana and Ohio into the southern half of Michigan over the last 10 years. It comes from Japan and was originally found in New England in the 1920s.
Although Asiatic garden beetles have been active in southwest Michigan for at least 10 years, they have taken a major leap in abundance in Ann Arbor and Lansing this year (2016). I am seeing at least 10-fold more beetles this year compared with last year, and Gary Parsons, our entomology collection manager at Michigan State University, found that his light traps used to collect insects at night have been flooded with Asiatic garden beetles, accounting for about half of all the insects in the trap each night for the last two weeks.
For urban areas, this beetle is mostly a nuisance, entering homes at night through poorly-sealed windows and doors because they’re attracted to light. However, when abundant, they may chew the leaves of geranium, asters, dahlia, mums, roses and a variety of other flowers, shrubs and trees. The beetles feed mostly during the night and tend to chew the edges of the leaves first, leaving a ragged appearance to infested plants. The larvae are sometimes found feeding on turf roots, but they seem to prefer the roots of perennials. In some cases, they can be a pest of field crops or vegetable crops, especially potatoes.
The only good news I have for you is that we have probably already seen the peak of adult activity this summer. MSU Extension expects the beetles to slowly disappear over the next two to three weeks, at least until next summer when they will no doubt be back in even bigger numbers.
Dr. Smitley’s work is funded in part by MSU’s AgBioResearch.
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FAQ
What are these brown beetles in my house?
One small brown beetle that’s commonly found indoors are drugstore beetles, which infest stored food products. You can try submitting additional photographs from different angles or submitting physical specimens to your local Extension office.
Are brown beetles harmful?
They enter homes attracted by light at night and seek stored food inside homes. However, most often they are brought into homes in infested grocery products and dry animal food. While they may not be a welcome visitor in your house, drugstore beetles are not harmful to humans, animals or structures.
What are brown beetles attracted to?
- Dry foods like flour, cereal, and spices.
- Chocolate and other sweet treats (they have a sweet tooth, it seems)
- Pet food (because why should Fido have all the fun?)
- Stored grains and processed foods.
What are the tiny beetles in my house all of a sudden?
They’re Carpet Beetles, similar to genus Trogoderma. They feed on the organic material in your dust, so typically the best way to evict them is to thoroughly vacuum the areas you’re seeing them in.
What are the different types of Brown and dark brown beetles?
This article provides an overview of ten distinct species of brown and dark brown beetles found in North America. These beetles include the American Carrion Beetle, the Ground Beetle, the Darkling Beetle, the Blister Beetle, the Click Beetle, the Bark Beetle, the Rove Beetle, the June Beetle, and the Bess Beetle.
What is a brown beetle?
Cedar Beetles (Sandalus niger) are among the smallest types of brown beetles in North America. This species grows to a size between 0.1 and 0.2 inches and it can be identified by its mostly dark brown appearance. Only the outer margins of its elytra are light brown. Small groove-like patterns are also visible across its body.
Where do small brown beetles live?
They can be anywhere: in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or living room. The most common small brown beetles are the drugstore beetles, also known as bread beetles or biscuit beetles. They are one of the most common stored produce pest insects in the United States.
How do you identify a brown beetle?
Small Brown Beetle Identification: Biscuit beetles are identified by their rounded, cylindrical body, reddish-brown color, and two antennae with three segments at the ends. The varied carpet beetle is a type of brown beetle with a mottled brown, white, and yellowish body.
Are brown beetles invasive?
Many brown beetles have been introduced from around the world, holding an invasive status. This is a status that implies rapid spread or a considerably negative impact on the environment. Some brown beetles are even known borers. They bore into wood, often responsible for unseen tree damage.
Is a brown beetle a weevil?
In that case, the brown beetle is a type of weevil. Brown weevils are also beetles and are identified by their elongated body and long protruding snout they use to consume food. Opening a packet of flour or cereal to find tiny brown bugs can send you into a panic. However, you could notice brown beetles anywhere in the home.