There are so many different types of beetles in New York. Knowing what these look like is important before you accidentally step on one.
Or invite them into your home by leaving your doors and windows open in the summer.
The type of beetle you’ll see most often in New York is the cockroach, but this insect can be found all over the world and not just in New York.
Stink bugs are another common type of beetle you might find in New York. But they’re considered pests instead of helpful creatures like ladybugs and butterflies.
1. Acorn Weevil
The first on the list of types of Beetles in New York is the Acorn weevil. Acorn Weevils are one of the many types of beetles in New York.
These types of Beetles in New York are found primarily on oaks and maples, but they will also eat pecans and walnuts if available.
Acorn Weevils prefer to eat nuts with a hard shell, which means that if you have a nut tree, it is possible for these types of beetles in New York to infest your nuts and make them unsaleable.
Acorn Weevils typically lay their eggs inside the shells or nuts, allowing the larvae to feed on the outside flesh before emerging from the shell.
If you find an infested nut or acorn, you can try placing it in a bucket full of hot water for 24 hours to see if it will kill any larvae.
2. Emerald Ash Borer
Emerald Ash Borer is the most destructive beetle in New York, with the ability to kill a tree within three years. The bug arrived from Asia and has been found in about 30 states and two Canadian provinces.
The Emerald Ash Borer is also called Agrilus planipennis. It’s small, at only about 2 mm long and 1 mm wide. But it can do significant damage to trees that it infects.
3. Emerald Euphoria Beetle
The Emerald Euphoria Beetle (Euphoria fulgida) is a type of beetle that lives in the wilds of New York, such as in places like Florida, Texas, and Virginia.
They are often found near water sources but can also be found in other areas. They feed on other insects and larvae, which they capture using their strong jaws.
The Emerald Euphoria Beetle (Euphoria fulgida) is considered to be a pest because it damages plants by feeding off them. It also feeds on both live plants and seeds for food.
4. False Bombardier Beetle
False Bombardier Beetles, also known as False Bombardiers because they do not spray their defensive fluid, are in the family Galeritus. False Bombardier Beetles can be found all over New York.
They are most often seen on flowers and rotting wood. The larvae grow to be about 2 cm long and live under logs or stones during winter.
5. False Potato Beetle
False potato beetles are a beetle found in the New York States. They do not pose any significant threats to humans other than occasionally being a nuisance when they enter homes during late summer and early fall.
False Potato Beetles are most often seen on false solanums, potatoes, eggplant, or tomatoes. They also feed on many other plants, including beans, peas, alfalfa, and clover.
The size of the False Potato Beetle is about one inch long with a cream-colored body and brown elytra (wing covers).
This species has two rows of black spots on each wing covered with a black head and antennae. The larvae are grayish-white, with sparse hair covering the body.
6. Festive Tiger Beetle
The festive Tiger Beetle (Cicindela scutellaris) is a beautiful beetle that lives in the eastern half of New York. The males have black and orange wing covers, while the females are yellowish brown with black wing covers.
These types of beetles in New York like to live near streams, ponds, and lakes. They will hunt for food at night and spend their days under rocks or logs.
When disturbed, they often will feign death by dropping on their backs with their legs splayed out as if they were dead.
Festive Tiger Beetles are also known to be some of the fastest-running insects! They can run up to six miles per hour and can even jump 30-40 inches off the ground.
7. Fiery Searcher Caterpillar Hunter
One type of beetle you may not be so familiar with is the Fiery Searcher Caterpillar Hunter. This beetle is often called a predator because it kills other insects, such as caterpillars. They use their pincers to grab and hold onto their prey.
The Fiery Searcher Caterpillar Hunter can be found in many different environments, but they prefer to live near water sources such as ponds or streams.
8. Flower Longhorn Beetle
If you come across a flower longhorn beetle, then congratulations! You have found one of the most beautiful types of beetles in New York.
Flower longhorns are from the Scarabaeidae family, which makes them related to the dung beetle. The size of this species ranges from 1 to 4 centimeters, and they can be easily identified by their long antennae, which give them an appearance not unlike that of a flower.
9. Four-Spot Sap Beetle
There are many different types of beetles in New York. One type is the four-spot sap beetle (Glischrochilus quadrisignatus). The four-spot sap beetle is a darkling beetle that feeds on plants and fruits.
The four-spot sap beetle can be found from Maine to Tennessee and from California to Mexico. These beetles in New York are also commonly found on Florida’s citrus crops and California’s grapefruit trees.
This species does not bite or sting humans but can cause discomfort if handled too long due to its ability to secrete a small amount of liquid-containing chemicals irritating skin.
10. Fungus Weevil
Fungus weevils are a type of beetle in New York found in forests and fields. They usually come out at night to feed on fungi, though they will also eat other types of plants if there’s nothing else available.
Fungus weevils can be distinguished by their shiny black color, red eyes, and long antennae with a white band on them near the end. They are about one inch long but will rarely grow larger than three inches.
Fungus weevils are an important part of the ecosystem as they help spread fungal spores, which break down organic matter and can prevent some plant diseases from spreading through an area.
11. Glowworm
Glowworms are the only types of Beetles in New York that can luminesce. The larvae and the adults use their light to lure insects and other arthropods, which they then consume.
They lay their eggs on or near rotting wood or vegetation, where they live as larvae for up to three years before emerging as adults.
Glowworms are most commonly found in New York and northern parts of North America and Europe, though some have been spotted in Texas.
Glowworm populations have decreased because of increased urbanization and development, so finding them is becoming more difficult.
12. Elderberry Borer Beetle
Elderberry Borer beetles (Desmocerus palliatus) feed primarily on elderberries, blueberries, snowberries, and blackberries.
They can be found throughout New York and the US but are common in eastern states such as Maine and Massachusetts. Their larvae are also known to chew on the woody parts of ash trees and maples.
13. Eggplant Flea Beetle
Eggplant Flea Beetles(Epitrix fuscula) are Beetles in New York. They are small, oval-shaped beetles with an orange head, black pronotum, and pale yellow elytra.
The larvae can be the same color as the adults, but they are smaller and resemble tiny alligators with two rows of spines on their backs.
These types of Beetles in New York lay eggs on eggplants and tomato plants to complete their life cycle.
14. Eastern Hercules Beetle
In New York, the Eastern Hercules beetle (Dynastes tityus) is one of the largest and most widely recognized types of beetle. It can measure over three inches long when measured from head to end.
Eastern Hercules beetles are dark metallic green with a coppery red thorax and black abdomen. They have extremely large jaws to chew up plant materials for food.
Eastern Hercules beetles have a very interesting life cycle, which consists of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
The female lays the eggs into rotting wood or on tree bark, where the larvae hatch after about two weeks and remain there for about six months before pupating for another two weeks.
15. Eastern Eyed Click Beetle
Alaus oculatus, also known as the Eastern Eyed Click Beetle, is a species of click beetle found in New York and eastern North America. It is about 2 cm long and varies from brown to black. It has large eyes, which give it its common name.
The larvae feed on decaying wood, and adults feed on flower nectar. Females lay their eggs in rotten logs and then guard them until they hatch two to three weeks later.
They are typically most active at night and are attracted to lights at night due to their large eyes.
16. Earth-Boring Scarab Beetle
Earths-boring scarab beetles (Bolbocerasoma sp.) are types of Beetles in New York that live in organic matter on the ground, such as leaf litter, rotting logs, and other decaying vegetable material.
These beetles have flattened, oval bodies and long, slender legs.
They can be found all over New York and North America. Scarabs are often mistaken for cockroaches or crickets, but they do not have wings, and their antennae are thicker at the base than the tip.
17. Dung Beetle
Dung beetles are types of Beetles in New York that usually live on or near the manure or other animal waste left behind by animals. Dichotomius is a genus in the family Scarabaeidae, which contains over 2,000 species.
Dung beetles can be found worldwide and are very important because they recycle nutrients from waste products back into the environment.
While there are many different types of beetles living throughout New York, Dichotomius is unique to this region, with at least six species being found here.
18. Drugstore Beetle
The Drugstore Beetle (Stegobium paniceum) is a type of beetle found in New York and Eastern and Western Europe. It is most commonly found on the ground but will fly if disturbed.
The drugstore beetle is attracted to light, and its favorite foods are dried fruit, nuts, cereals, spices, and flour. They are so named because they often infest these items at drugstores or grocery stores.
19. Dogbane Leaf Beetle
Most beetles in New York have hard outer wing covers called elytra that protect and cover their wings.
There are many different types of beetles in New York, but the dogbane leaf beetle is one type that is native to the state.
This beetle gets its name from a plant that it likes to eat, dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum). The adults lay eggs on these plants, and the larvae eat them.
The adults are around 1/4 inch long and dark brown with white stripes along their abdomen. They can be found on leaves and stems of dogbane as well as other plants, flowers, or seeds.
20. Darkling Beetle
Insects comprise one-third of all animal species. In addition to bees and ants, beetles are common insects that can be found throughout the state of New York.
There are two main types of beetles in New York throughout the state: darkling and ground beetles. Darkling beetles with a hard exoskeleton and short antennae are generally black or brown.
They feed on plants, decaying organic matter, and dead animals. Ground beetles have a wider variety in size and coloration but typically feed on other invertebrates such as worms, snails, slugs, caterpillars, and other insects that they hunt at night.
21. Dark Brown Click Beetle
There are many types of beetles native to the state of New York. The most commonly seen beetle is the dark brown click beetle, also known as Limonius spp.
These beetles in New York are typically found near water and can be mistaken for snails because they have an oval-shaped body that moves by flipping their head from one side to the other.
They feed on slugs and earthworms but can also prey on other small invertebrates that live near the ground.
The dark brown click beetle will lay its eggs in rotting logs or other moist decaying wood, eventually producing new generations of beetles to roam the forest floor.
22. Cottonwood Leaf Beetle
Cottonwood Leaf Beetle (Chrysomela scripta) is a type of beetle that can be found in the state of New York. It is about 1⁄4-inch long and has a yellow head, brown body, and three pairs of white spots on each wing cover.
It feeds on cottonwood leaves and can be identified by its black larvae that live under the outer layer. This beetle lives along rivers, streams, and waterways where their food source is plentiful.
23. Cocklebur Weevil
Cocklebur Weevil (Rhodobaenus quinquepunctatus) is one of the many types of beetles in New York. Cocklebur Weevil is found mostly east of the Mississippi River but also as far west as Texas and north to Iowa.
In their larval stage, these beetles in New York are most often seen feeding on cocklebur plants. Adults feed on leaves from various plants, including clover, alfalfa, soybeans, and red clover.
24. Click Beetle
Melanotus spp. Beetles are small brown beetles that are found all over the world. They are known as sap beetles because they feed on various plant juices and can be found in areas where trees with sap-rich bark grow.
This includes the Northeastern United States, especially those areas with many hardwood trees like oak and hickory species.
Melanotus spp. Insects emit a strong odor, which is a defense mechanism against predators. It also attracts mates to their breeding grounds.
25. Clay-Colored Billbug
The clay-colored billbug is one type of beetle that lives in New York. It is a ground-dwelling herbivore and usually feeds on grasses and other plants. They are about two centimeters long, with an elongated head and a brownish-gray or black shell.
The larvae are small, green, wormlike creatures with dark heads. The larva can measure up to twenty millimeters long.
They live in the soil below the earth’s surface and feed on plant roots by chewing them with their powerful jaws.
26. Checkered Beetle
Checkered beetles are a type of beetle found primarily in New York. They are also known as roses or nine-patches, which is where they get their name from.
They eat decomposing plant material, like fungi and lichen, and are often found near rotting logs or old stumps. Checkered beetles grow to be about an inch long, with a purple head and black antennae.
They have a checkered pattern on their wing covers that range from green to pinkish-purple to brownish-black.
Females lay eggs in twigs during the summer months, which hatch into larvae called grubs before winter sets in.
27. Cedar Beetle
The Cedar beetle is a type indigenous to New York and found in the woodlands.
These types of Beetles in New York go through a complete metamorphosis, meaning they have four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
The cycle begins when the larvae hatch from their eggs and start eating the bark on trees. When they are finished with one tree, they move on to another.
The larvae will leave behind tunnels when they move onto a new tree for their next meal. After about two years, the larva will pupate into an adult cedar beetle by making a cocoon around itself out of its own excrement.
And shed its exoskeleton after about one day to two weeks.
28. Case-Bearing Leaf Beetle
One of the most common types of beetles in New York is the Case-bearing Leaf Beetle (Various spp.), which can be found on leaves, logs, and other plants.
They are usually black or brown with a convex back shape and two rows of spots running along their body.
These types of beetles in New York feed by sucking fluids from plants and injecting a toxin that dissolves cell walls. The fluid is then sucked out through straw-like mouthparts.
One way to spot these beetles is by looking for small cases made from plant material on leaf surfaces or under logs, pieces of bark, etc.
The cases are made from dried leaves, pieces of wood, and other items used to protect the eggs inside.
29. Carolina Pine Sawyer
The Carolina Pine Sawyer is a type of beetle that comes from New York and the United States. It has a black body with a brown head and antennae and is about 1/2 an inch long.
The Carolina Pine Sawyer can be identified by its distinctive saw-toothed antennae. These beetles are found on pine trees but may also attack other coniferous trees like spruce and fir.
30. Calligrapha Beetle
Calligrapha beetles are one type of beetle that lives in New York. They belong to the family Chrysomelidae, which includes leaf beetles and are also known as tortoise beetles.
Like other beetles in New York, they have a hard outer shell called elytra. They feed on plants and trees weakened by disease or drought and can damage roots by chewing on them.
Calligrapha chrysographes is one species that lives in our area. It is brown with yellow or white markings on its head, pronotum (the shield-like plate over the first segment of the thorax), and elytra.
31. Burying Beetle
Burying beetles are solitary and live in the same area as their food source. These types of beetles in New York bury a small animal carcass by digging with their back legs, then bury it with soil they gather from the burrow.
The female lays a single egg near the body and then seals it. The larva hatches and feeds on the decaying flesh before pupating and eventually emerging as an adult beetle.
Burying beetles helps clean up dead animals, reducing disease-carrying fly populations that might otherwise feast on carrion.
They also serve food for other scavengers, such as turkey vultures, which can eat more than 50 burying beetle larvae daily!
32. Bumblebee Scarab Beetle
This type of beetle is fairly common and can be found throughout the US. The Bumblebee Scarab Beetle is also known as the Lichnanthe Vulpina.
This beetle is a common scavenger, but it will also feed on other insects it encounters. They are considered pests because they have been known to eat clothes left on the line or furniture left outside.
33. Broad-Necked Root Borer
Broad-necked Root Borer (Prionus laticollis) is the next on the list of types of beetles in New York. This beetle is native to New York and the eastern United States, and its larvae can be found near the roots of trees.
They are typically greyish-brown or black, with a dark head and prothorax. The Broad-necked Root Borer is considered an important forest pest because it can cause extensive damage to trees.
Like many beetles, the Broad-necked Root Borer has developed a symbiotic relationship with certain fungi that allow it to digest cellulose and other plant matter for food.
34. Black Vine Weevil
Black vine weevils are a type of beetle found in New York. This insect is typically brown but can also be black or yellowish-brown.
Adult beetles are about one-half inch long and have a slender, curved snout that they use to drill into plant stems to feed on sap.
Larvae (immature weevils) are white or pink with a dark head and usually live inside the host plant, feeding on plant sap.
35. Black Firefly
Lucidota atra, or the Black Firefly, are beetles in New York found in many different habitats across the state.
These beetles in New York are often attracted to light and fly toward any light they see. They have been found to fly toward porch lights or even headlights on cars. They feed on nectar and can be seen flying around flowers during the day hours.
36. Black Caterpillar Hunter
The Black Caterpillar Hunter is a common, black ground beetle that does not fly. Males have a curved spine, and females have a tooth-like projection on the last segment.
The Black Caterpillar Hunter has a voracious appetite, feeding on larvae and adults from more than 60 species.
This includes many species found in North America, such as the Tomato Fruitworm (Heliothis zea), Cotton Boll Weevil (Anthonomus grandis), Peach Tree Borer (Pachnaeus litus), and others.
37. Black Carpet Beetle
Black carpet beetles are one of the most common beetles in New York and are found in homes. They are often found on carpeting and other dark and damp textiles, such as wool or silk.
They feed on fabrics by chewing holes through them. Black Carpet Beetles can be a pest because they can damage your clothing, bedding, furniture, and more.
38. Black Blister Beetle
When it comes to beetles, the Black Blister Beetle (Epicauta pennsylvanica) is one of the most common types of beetles in New York.
The beetle’s vernacular name derives from its black and yellow coloration, which provides a stunning contrast that makes it easy to spot.
As far as physical characteristics go, this beetle is pretty average. It measures about 10 millimeters long, has a shiny exoskeleton, and can be found on decaying plants.
Most importantly, though, this type of beetle is an agricultural pest that can cause economic damage by feeding on plant material and damaging crops such as soybeans or corn.
39. Big-Headed Ground Beetle
Big-headed Ground types of Beetles in New York are often found in sandy or gravel areas near streams and rivers and on the edges of meadows. They may be found buried at a depth of up to six inches (15 cm).
This beetle is named for its head, which is noticeably larger than the rest of its body. The larvae feed on decaying organic matter, while the adults eat snails, slugs, and earthworms.
40. Big Dipper Firefly
There are many different types of beetles in New York. The Big Dipper Firefly is a type of beetle that can be found in the state, but it is not native to it.
The Big Dipper Firefly was introduced to New York from Wisconsin. This type of beetle is a common firefly and can be found flying during the evening hours.
It is attracted to light sources and will fly towards them with its wings flashing brightly. They generally live near lakes or streams but enjoy being close to humans because they are attracted to nighttime lights.
41. Bicolored Flower Longhorn Beetle
In a city like New York, many different beetle types exist. One type is the Bicolored Flower Longhorn Beetle (Strangalia bicolor).
These beetles in New York were originally found in Ohio, but they have spread to other states and even parts of Canada. It can be found near ponds or slow-moving streams with tall grasses nearby.
They eat almost any plant material but seem to prefer flowers that have pollen and nectar. Females have a more bulbous body than males, and their antennae are thinner than males.
42. Beetle Grub
New York’s diverse climate and geography provide habitats for various beetle species. A few common beetles found throughout the state are the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), cucumber beetle (Diabrotica spp.), and flea beetles (Epitrix spp.).
The Japanese beetle is known to eat leaves, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Cucumber beetles are known as pests because they suck sap from plants and can transmit diseases from one plant to another.
Flea beetles come in many shapes and sizes, but all feed on plant foliage. They can also cause damage by eating seeds before or after they have been planted in the ground.
43. Bee-Like Flower Scarab Beetle
Bee-like Flower Scarab Beetle, or Trichiotinus spp., is a beetle common to New York, the Eastern United States, and parts of Canada.
The adults have a black head and thorax with red elytra, the hard outer wings of beetles.
They also have six legs with four claws on each foot. These beetles lay eggs beneath tree bark; the larvae will eat their way into the bark to pupate. This process usually takes about two years for these beetles to mature.
Bee-like Flower Scarab Beetles feed on dead wood, fungal spores, and flower nectar from tulips and daffodils.
44. Bean Leaf Beetle
Bean Leaf Beetles are brown and black beetles in New York that are most often found on the underside of leaves, especially the edges. They feed on leaves by chewing a hole and then laying an egg inside.
The larvae hatch and eat their way out before pupating and emerging as adults. A single female can lay up to sixty eggs in her lifetime. Larvae will not emerge from their leaf until they have been killed or parasitized by another insect.
The Bean Leaf Beetle is a common pest that feeds on beans, peas, potatoes, asparagus, strawberries, and many other types of plants.
They are not dangerous to humans but can be destructive to crops because they have such a wide range of plants they prey upon.
45. Banded Net-Winged Beetle
Banded net-winged beetles are often found in flowers, where they feed on nectar. They can be found from Connecticut to southern Florida and west to Oklahoma.
These types of beetles in New York are not pests because they do not harm people or animals or damage property.
Banded Net-winged Beetles have a long snout that can emit fluids that may kill other insects like caterpillars or aphids. They eat pollen, plant sap, and honeydew that other insects, such as aphids, secrete.
46. Banded Ash Borer
Banded Ash Borer (Neoclytus caprea) is a type of beetle found in New York. The beetle’s body is 15-30mm long and very slender. They are typically grayish brown with faint black bands on the elytra.
These beetles in New York are most active at night but can also be seen during the day or near lights.
They mainly feed on the foliage, bark, and woody parts of ash trees but may also feed on maple trees.
This type of beetle has been known to cause major damage to ash trees by chewing off the bark and eating through the trunk and branches during the larval stage. This can lead to death or major tree loss for infested ash trees within one year.
47. Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle
This small beetle is found all over the world. It was introduced to New York from eastern Asia, and it’s now established in many parts of North America.
The Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle feeds on aphids and other small insects. This ladybug is a voracious eater consuming up to 50 aphids daily!
48. Antelope Beetle
Antelope beetles, also known as Dorcus parallelus, are a type of beetle found in the grasslands and forests of North America.
They are about one to two centimeters long, with a dark brown head and body covered with small hairs.
The antennae have 17 segments, and the pronotum has a pattern that looks like an antelope’s horns. Antelope beetles are unusual because they only have six legs instead of eight.
Antelope beetles lay eggs under logs or stones and live for two to three years. When they find their mate, the male will produce a mating call by using his abdomen to produce vibrations on the ground or leaf litter, which he does not eat or drink during this time period.
49. Ant-Like Longhorn Beetle
While all types of beetles in New York can be found living in the state, some are more prominent than others.
One type is the Ant-like Longhorn Beetle (Cyrtophorus verrucosus), which is less than an inch long and has a shiny black body with brown bands.
They have an antenna resembling a small horn and prefer to live on rotting wood or leaves. Many different beetles inhabit the state of New York, but this one is one of the most common.
50. American Oil Beetle
The American Oil Beetle is a type of beetle found in New York. This beetle is also called the blister beetle because it produces an oily chemical on its exoskeleton that can blister anyone who touches it.
The only good thing about this insect is that it does not bite, which makes sense for a creature with such potent defenses.
Besides living near flowers and eating nectar, this beetle spends most of its time hiding under rocks or burrowing into the ground to avoid predators.
51. American Carrion Beetle
Carrion beetles are found all over New York and North America. As one of the types of beetles in New York, many different types of this insect come in various colors.
One common carrion beetle is the American Carrion Beetle (Necrophila Americana).
This type of beetle can be found throughout the United States and Canada. The American Carrion Beetle can grow up to 1 cm long with a black body, orange head, pronotum, and elytra (wings).
Further, the female will lay eggs within carrion or decomposing meat, then wait for it to hatch. Her larvae can feed on the remains for about ten days before pupating into an adult beetle.
We will wind up our list of the different types of beetles in New York here!
