If a green beetle sparkles in the bushes, busy hobby gardeners pause in amazement. What kind of beetle might it be that pays a visit to the garden? This guide explains how to identify large and small beetles by appearance.

The glossy jewel beetle is one of the most beautiful specimens among the green beetles

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Big green beetle
  3. Little Green Beetle
  4. frequently asked Questions

    5. the essentials in brief

    • The most common large green beetle in Germany is the 15-20 mm large gold rose beetle, also known as the green knight beetle. Other large green beetle species include gold ground beetle, large pupa robber, green billyhorn beetle, and emerald runner beetle.
    • Small green beetles are between 5 and 11mm in size and are known as Green Shield Beetle, Silky Glossy Weevil, Glossy Jewel Beetle, Green Blue Fall Beetle and Mint Leaf Beetle.
    • A green bug in the apartment is not a real bug, but the green stink bug. The broad-oval insect can smell bad, but it is harmless and not poisonous.

    Big Green Bug - Which one is it?

    The gold rose chafer has a golden sheen

    In the species-rich microcosm of native beetles, the dividing line between large and small is 10 millimeters. From this size, green beetles cause a sensation when they show off their metallic, shimmering color nuances. Once you know the basic facts, you can easily identify large green beetles by their appearance. The following table gives an overview of 5 common beetle species in Germany with a soft spot for green:

    Big green beetle Gold rose chafer gold ground beetle doll robber Green Longhorn Beetle fast runner
    length 15-20mm 18-32mm 20-30mm 8-15mm 11-15mm
    color metallic gold-green green-gold shimmering blue-green metallic metallic green shiny shiny black-green
    body shape spherical elongated broad oval elongated elongated
    elytra with white dots red border reddish longitudinally grooved ribbed, gaping flat ribbed
    Special feature broad flat longitudinal ribs orange-red legs blue-purple pronotum long feelers orange legs/feelers
    botanical name Cetonia aurata Carabus auratus Calosoma sycophanta Edema nobilis Harpalus smaragdinus
    middle name Green Knight Beetle goldsmith Big puppet robber Blue-green thigh beetle Emerald Fast Runner

    The following brief portraits provide informative details on the appearance and habitat of our five large green beetles.

    Golden rose chafer (Cetonia aurata)

    The most prominent large green beetle in Germany is the golden rose beetle, which is almost 2 cm long. Its stable armor shimmers in metallic green-gold, sometimes reddish to violet or blue-black. In addition to the two flat longitudinal ribs and white spots on the elytra, a green knight beetle can be identified by white, narrow transverse bands in the rear third. If a careless rose chafer falls on its back, a reddish-golden underside can be admired.

    • Where to find: Shrubs, preferably on roses, hawthorn and elder, in forests, meadows and gardens
    • When to find: April to September

    In the following video you can admire shiny gold rose chafers in action:

    youtube

    Gold Ground Beetle (Carabus auratus)

    One of the most beautiful natural jewels in Germany inspires as a shiny green beetle with a golden shimmer. The red-yellow bordered elytra are each characterized by three wide, green-gold longitudinal ribs. The noticeably long antennae, the first four segments of which are colored red, are helpful for identifying the gold ground beetle.

    • Where to find: fields, meadows, forest edges, less often in the garden
    • When to find: April to September

    Pupa predator (Calosoma sycophanta)

    As a blue-green beetle with a length of up to 3 cm, the pupa robber is hard to miss. Its trademark is its metallic blue pronotum, picturesquely decorated with a shimmering green border. This gem belongs to the ground beetle family, but it also likes to fly when hunting caterpillars and other prey.

    • Where to find: forests, parks, large gardens
    • When to find: May to September

    Green Longhorn Beetle (Oedemera nobilis)

    The Green Longhorn Beetle is easily distinguished from other green beetles with its long, narrow body and long antennae

    With a length of 8 to 15 mm, the longhorn beetle can't decide whether it wants to be a big or a small green beetle. In view of its other attributes, it is easy for laypeople to accurately identify the blue-green thigh beetle. Epic long antennae are striking. Its metallic green elytra narrow towards the abdomen. Significantly thickened hind thighs are noticeable in males.

    • Where to find: meadows, shrubs, bushes
    • When to find: April to July

    Emerald Swiftrunner (Harpalus smaragdinus)

    Emerald green elytra and nimble orange legs characterize the fast runner of the ground beetle family. Orange-brown antennae and pincers are tastefully matched in colour. As an additional decoration, the shiny, black and brown pronotum is provided with an orange colored border.

    • Where to find: biotopes, open land, garden
    • When to find: April to September

    digression

    Green beetle-like insect

    If a green beetle stinks in the apartment, you are faced with a bug in a green summer dress. The green stink bug (Palomena prasina) has a 14 mm long, broadly oval body, boasts long antennae and a conspicuous proboscis. From spring to summer, the beetle-like insect appears in a bright green robe with black dots. In autumn, the bug adapts to the season with a subtle red-brown colouration. When the temperatures drop, the green stink bug leaves the forest in search of a cozy winter quarters. Sometimes the harmless insect gets lost in apartments. Now it's time to keep calm, because when there is imminent danger, stink bugs live up to their name because they emit a foul-smelling secretion. Let the uninvited guests crawl onto a piece of paper to get them outside and you will be spared the dreaded stink bomb effect.

    Little Green Bug - Which one is it?

    The Green Shield Beetle is often difficult to spot with the naked eye

    You have to look closely if you want to address a small green beetle by its real name. With a body size below the threshold of 10 millimeters, a bright green shiny beetle clearly has the edge in terms of attention. The following 5 beetle dwarfs speak German and are easy to identify by their appearance:

    Little Green Beetle Green Shield Beetle Silky glossy weevil Glossy Jewel Beetle Green-blue case beetle mint leaf beetle
    length 7-10mm 5-7mm 5-8mm 6-8mm 7-11mm
    color grass green shiny green blue green gold-green-blue metallic shiny green-gold
    body shape flat-oval oval-oblong elongated cylindrical plump
    elytra bordered with yellowish flat dark longitudinal furrows flat, densely punctured finely granulated prominently punctured
    Special feature short, brown legs long trunk red gold head shiny metallic feelers red-yellow, 2nd antennal segment
    botanical name Cassida viridis Polydrusus formosus Anthaxia nitidula Cryptocephalus sericeus Chrysolina herbacea
    middle name shield beetle green weevil jewel beetle Silky Fall Beetle Glossy mint leaf beetle

    The following short portraits are peppered with further information on the appearance of small green beetles in Germany.

    Green Shield Beetle (Cassida viridis)

    Flat, like a flounder, grass-green elytra with no lustrous sheen. A green shield beetle has unmistakably opted for a subtle appearance. In this way, the little beetle makes itself almost invisible when it nibbles on the leaves of lamiaceae, such as hollowtooth and wolfweed.

    • Where to find: Wet meadows, swampy biotopes, lake and pond shores
    • When to find: May to October

    Silky weevil (Polydrusus formosus)

    The silky weevil has a silky shiny body

    From the weevil family, the silky weevil made it into our list because it decided against the usual black-brown coloration. The glossy weevil spices up its actually black shell with shiny green scales, orange, green powdered legs and brown-yellow antennae.

    • Where to find: deciduous forest, shrubs, in the garden
    • When to find: May to August

    Glossy jewel beetle (Anthaxia nitidula)

    Its name is no empty promise, because a shiny jewel beetle is truly a feast for the eyes. The entire body of the male sparkles metallic green. Females combine a red and gold head for a picturesque appearance. A look at the pronotum removes any remaining doubts about the beetle species, because it is significantly wider than it is long.

    • Where to find: meadow orchards, forest edges, gardens
    • When to find: May to June

    Green-blue case beetle (Cryptocephalus sericeus)

    The local case beetle flirts with iridescent metallic colors in green, gold, gold-green, blue and violet. The elytra are more coarsely punctured than the pronotum. S-shaped curved edges of the shimmering pronotum provide an important identification aid. Furthermore, the cylindrical body is not completely covered by elytra.

    • Where to find: meadows, sunny slopes, rarely in the garden
    • When to find: May to July/August

    Mint leaf beetle (Chrysolina herbacea)

    Shiny beetles on the mint are definitely mint leaf beetles

    If an iridescent gold-green beetle crawls over mint species, the species should not be difficult to identify. Densely punctured elytra and a finely granulated pronotum reveal whether it is actually the mint leaf beetle. In addition, the lateral edge of an elytra is only visible up to the middle of the body.

    • Where to find: in the garden
    • When to find: May to September

    tips

    For hobby gardeners who are close to nature, it is a reason to celebrate when fat grubs colonize the compost heap. Beetle beauties such as the golden rose beetle or rhinoceros beetle like to set up their nursery here. The mighty larvae with the C-shaped body take part diligently in the production of humus by feeding on and decomposing the plant remains.

    frequently asked Questions

    Which large green beetle is similar to a cockchafer?

    Rose beetles and cockchafers belong to the scarab beetle family (Scarabaeidae). The botanical relationship is reflected in a similar appearance in terms of size and body shape. This is where the similarities end. Rose beetles shine with a gold-green sparkling shell. In contrast, cockchafers with inconspicuous, brown elytra maintain a life beyond shimmering beetle splendor.

    Can rose beetles bite?

    Rose beetles are leaf beetles and prefer to feed on sweet plant sap, delicate pollen and velvety-soft petals. The mouthpart is already too weak to bite into the strong leaves on roses. For this reason, the magnificent beetles do not even try to bite human skin.

    Should you fight big green bugs on roses?

    Rose beetle larvae cause a lot of damage in the garden

    Adult rose chafers sip nectar, feast on pollen and nibble a little on flower petals. The gold-green shiny beetles do not cause any significant damage. Rather, this is the acceptable price for an important contribution to the ecosystem as a pollinator and humus producer. Give a warm welcome to rose chafers in the garden instead of fighting the sheltered insects.

    tips

    The German Nature Conservation Union (NABU) has a free app for all insect lovers to identify common domestic beetles and other insects. Automatic photo recognition serves as a determination aid. Informative species portraits invite the whole family to take a stroll through our diverse world of insects.

Category:

Animals in the garden