Oregon is known as the Beaver State, but did you know there are also different types of beetles in Oregon? Oregon has some amazing and diverse habitats, which means they have an equally diverse number of beetles.
Oregon has more than 250 different species or types of beetles, and it is unlikely that anyone will ever know all the species.
In addition, most of these beetles are pollinators, and some are predators.
Pollinating beetles contribute to healthy ecosystems by ensuring successful reproduction for many plants.
They all have fascinating life stories and characteristics that make them equally compelling as Oregon’s many other unique plants and animals.
To learn more about the different beetles in Oregon, read on!
1. Hister Beetle
The hister beetle is one of the most common beetles in Oregon. They are typically dark brown and have a metallic shine.
The two most common species found are Hister quadrimaculatus, which has four black spots on its elytra, and Hister obscurus, which has three black spots on its elytra.
Also, this beetle is known as a clown beetle because of its body patterns resembling a jester’s hat and coat.
2. Ashy Gray Lady Beetle
Another type of beetle in Oregon is the Ashy gray lady beetle. This native species to North America can be found from Canada to Mexico.
The ashy gray lady beetle is considered to be an invasive species in the United Kingdom and New Zealand. The adult beetles are about one centimeter long, oval-shaped, and have blackheads.
Also, they have yellow-white elytra (hard outer shell), dark brown thorax, and two black spots on each side of the thorax.
The larvae are similar but have three pairs of legs instead of four. The ashy gray lady beetle preys on other soft-bodied insects such as aphids, scale insects, adelgids, and mites.
3. Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle
Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis) is one of Oregon’s most well-known types of beetle.
They are a type of lady beetle often confused with other beetles, namely the North American Lady Beetle (Coccinella septempunctata).
Furthermore, the Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle can be found throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada, Central America, and South America.
They’re typically bright orange with black spots on their wing covers. Their abdomen is usually bright red or orange, but some individuals can have a blue spot at the end.
4. Drugstore Beetle
The Drugstore Beetle, or Stegobium paniceum, is one of the most common beetles found in drugstores. The beetle feeds on various drugs and medications.
They are often found on shelves or counters where drugs are stocked and sold. Even though they are found around medications, these beetles cannot cause any health problems to humans.
5. Dung Beetle
The Dung Beetle has a heart-shaped head, a stubby antenna, and a tapered abdomen. It is found on cow dung and other animal droppings.
The female lays her eggs within the fecal material. Meanwhile, the larvae eat the dung and pupate when the eggs hatch.
The adult beetle then emerges from the larval chamber carrying its own pupal exoskeleton as a protective sheath for its wings. This is one of the types of beetles in Oregon.
6. European Ground Beetle
European Ground Beetles are found throughout the world and live in many habitats. These habitats include forests, meadows, fields, gardens, orchards, and other semi-natural places.
They are among the first beetles to appear on the scene yearly. Equally important, they are also one of the most common types of beetles in Oregon.
In early spring, they can be seen coming out of their hiding spots under logs and stones to find mates and food. They feed on slugs, snails, spiders, and other small invertebrates like caterpillars.
They have an oval body with a brownish-black shell that is shiny when new but fades as it gets older.
7. Hairy Rove Beetle
The Hairy Rove Beetle’s body is usually yellowish-brown but can also be black. The Hairy Rove Beetle has short, slender antennae sticking out of its head’s front. This beetle gets its name from the long hairs on the abdomen that look like a tail.Â
What’s more? The Hairy Rove Beetle is not aggressive and will only sting if threatened or cornered. It will likely run away or curl into a ball to protect itself.
This beetle is found throughout the United States and Canada. However, it prefers warmer climates like California, Texas, and southern Florida.
8. Hermit Flower Beetle
The hermit flower beetle is an incredible and rare species found only in southwest Oregon and northern California hills.
The beetles spend most of their lives underground, coming out only during the summer and fall to feed on wildflowers.
They are so rare that little is known about their life cycle, but they are believed to live for three to four years.
This incredible bug spends its entire life underground and has never been seen by humans! This beautiful bug was recently discovered by a team of scientists who spent three months searching for this elusive insect.
They could catch two individual beetles near the border between California and Oregon. With this, we can call them the most evasive of the types of beetles in Oregon.
9. False Bombardier Beetle
The False Bombardier Beetle is a small brown beetle with orange pronotal flanges. It gets its name from the false bombardier beetle’s ability to create an irritating spray with a foul smell and taste.
The False Bombardier Beetle is usually seen on flowers or along the margins of trails, feeding on pollen, nectar, and other insects.
Often, they are found during the day but also come out at night to hunt for prey. These beetles produce their irritating spray by combining two chemicals in their abdomen: hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide.
When combined with hydroquinone, hydrogen peroxide creates a chemical reaction that produces heat, light, and an irritant known as benzoquinone. We are just getting started on our list of the different types of beetles in Oregon. Read further!
10. Fire-colored Beetle
Fire-colored beetles are usually less than an inch long and are covered with a coat of fine hairs. However, their larvae grow to be about half an inch long, and when they pupate, they may turn a tan or brown color.
The adult fire-colored beetle has two black spots on its back that help distinguish it from other species of Dendroides beetles.
Oregon’s special types of beetles can also be found on the bark of trees, flowers, and rotting logs.
In one published study, scientists could identify more than ten species of fire-colored beetles in the Eugene area!
11. Firefly
Yes! Fireflies are among the different types of beetles in Oregon. Fireflies are small, beetle-like insects that are commonly known for their luminescence.
These tiny creatures go through a complete metamorphosis, from egg to larva to pupa and then to adult. While most fireflies use bioluminescence to attract mates and lure prey, the Photuris species uses it as a defense mechanism.
This species emits light by flashing its abdomen when threatened or attacked to confuse predators. Further, Fireflies live around lakes, ponds, streams, and wetlands during the larval stage of their life cycle.
The larvae feed on algae and decaying organic matter while growing into adults.
12. Flatheaded Hardwood Borer
The flatheaded hardwood borer is a species of beetle found in the Northern United States and Canada.
Uniquely, they are one of the different types of beetles in Oregon. They are usually found near hardwoods, such as oaks and beech, which they can infest.
They will lay their eggs once they have burrowed into the tree’s bark. The larvae hatch and bore tunnels under the bark, leading to the tree’s death if left untreated.
13. Acorn Weevil
The acorn weevil can be found throughout the Western United States. They are about 1/8 inch long and have a distinctive snout and two deep pits on the top of their head.
However, this insect is a pest because it lays eggs inside acorns and infects larvae. The larvae will then hatch out and eat the inside of the acorn, leaving only the shell behind.
Acorn weevils prefer oaks but also infest other types of trees as well. This is the second of our list of the different types of beetles in Oregon.
14. Flower Longhorn Beetle
One of the most impressive types of beetles in Oregon is the flower longhorn beetle, Stenelytrana emarginata.
This insect, found on coniferous trees and shrubs, has an average length of around 6mm and can be found throughout the western US. Also, they have a unique vernacular name: flower bug.
In addition, Flower longhorns are brown with black markings on their wings, which helps them blend into the tree bark.
The larvae are cream-colored with orange stripes on their sides. The larvae feed on plant tissue, while the adults primarily eat pollen from flowers or other insects during mating season.
15. Flower Longhorn Beetle
The flower longhorn beetle is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa. It was introduced into the United States in the early twentieth century and has spread rapidly westward.
In particular, this flower longhorn beetle threatens many cultivated plants because it can transport flowers and pollen from one area to another.
Adult beetles are attracted to flowers for nectar and pollen, but they also eat leaves from trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and other plants.
They chew holes into leaves, exposing them to harmful solar ultraviolet radiation. This can affect the growth rates of both adult plants and their seeds or fruits, which may develop later.
16. Our-spot Sap Beetle
The four-spot sap beetle is a medium-sized black beetle with two yellow spots on its elytra. When threatened, the beetle releases a yellow liquid from its hindgut that smells like carrion and can repel predators.
The beetle lives in the ground below decaying wood and often flies up to catch other insects.
They are found throughout the Western United States and Canada but not east of Ohio or north of Montana. They are on our list of the types of beetles in Oregon.
17. Gold-and-brown Rove Beetle
This is not left out of our list of the various types of beetles in Oregon. The gold-and-brown rove beetle is a small, flat, oval-shaped beetle that ranges from brown to black. They are found on the ground in forests and coastal beaches of southern Oregon.
Furthermore, adults eat mites, aphids, and other small insects. They are most active during summer when they mate and lay eggs.
18. Golden Net-wing Beetle
The Golden Net-wing Beetle is a small, golden-colored species of net-winged beetle. It’s also known as the Aurora beetle because it was first found near Aurora, Oregon.
The bug can be found in south-central Oregon and lives around 30 feet above the ground. In addition, it is a beautiful species of beetle in Oregon.
They’re attracted to light at night and fly out to mate during this time. You might find them flying around your porch lights or outside lamps after dark.
They feed on plants by chewing holes through the leaves for their larvae. When the larvae hatch, they fall to the ground and create a cocoon. This lasts about three weeks until they emerge as adults from their pupae form.
19. Golden Tortoise Beetle
The golden tortoise beetle is a relatively large, metallic-gold-colored beetle. It is found throughout the United States and in most Oregon counties. It is also found throughout much of North America.Â
Proceeding, the golden tortoise beetle gets its name from its tendency to curl up into a ball when disturbed or threatened.
Its shiny carapace gives it an appearance that resembles that of an ancient turtle. This behavior makes them difficult to capture and study, so little is known about their mating habits or lifespan.
20. Grapevine Hoplia
The grapevine hoplia is a small, colorful beetle found throughout the northwest. It has a metallic green head and body with coppery red elytra.
The grapevine hoplia is also notable for its large size, reaching about an inch long (including its antennae).
Adults are active from late May to early September and feed on the leaves of many different types of plants. They don’t cause any harm to the host plant like some of the types of beetles in Oregon. This beetle is also known as the Northern Emerald Beetle due to its emerald green coloration.
21. Ground Beetle Grub
Ground beetles are one of the most common types of beetles in Oregon. They can be identified by their long, slender body and six legs. The adults have wings that are reduced to small stubs at the end of the abdomen.
Ground beetles are predators who feed on other insects, worms, and sometimes even small mammals.
When they kill their prey, ground beetles cover the carcass with a secretion from their mouth. This hardens the carcass into a shell-like coating, which helps keep it fresh for later consumption.
What’s more? To complete their life cycle, females will lay eggs during spring or summer, hatching within ten days.
Larvae will then go through 3 instars before pupating underground, beneath logs, or under rocks, where they’ll spend approximately two months as adults emerge.
22. Banded Alder Borer Beetle
The Banded Alder Borer Beetle is considered one of the most beautiful types of beetles in Oregon and the world.
With striking coloration, this beetle can be found in the eastern United States from Maine to Florida and west to Texas. They are most commonly seen during the summer when they are attracted to flowers or sap flows.
Meanwhile, the Banded Alder Borer Beetle feeds on alder trees, although it may also feed on willow and other plants if alders are unavailable.
This beetle has a very interesting life cycle that takes two years to complete. These beetles reproduce by laying eggs under the loose bark of an alder tree, where they hatch into larvae after about six weeks.
23. Bee-like Flower Scarab Beetle
Oregon is home to various beetles, including the Bee-like Flower Scarab Beetle. They are so named because they resemble bees and have flower-shaped scarabs on their heads. These beetles are also known as flower beetles or flower scarabs.
Typically, the beetle is found in green spaces such as parks and gardens, where it feeds on nectar and pollen from flowers.
It has an extended snout that it uses to collect pollen from flowers. This beetle can be identified by its characteristic black stripes and redhead.
24. Beetle Grub
Beetle Grubs are the larval form of various beetles. They typically eat decomposing organic matter but can also be found on living plants.
Often, Beetle Grubs are found inside trees, as they will tunnel into them to feed on the sapwood. The list of the different types of beetles in Oregon is incomplete without the Beetle Grub.
25. Big-headed Ground Beetle
We are still on our list of the various types of beetles in Oregon. The big-headed Ground Beetle is one of the largest ground beetles found in North America. These beetles live under stones, logs, and other objects on the forest floor.
Additionally, the larvae of this species are predators that feed on slugs, snails, and earthworms. Adults can be found during the summer months from May to September.
26. Black Blister Beetle
If you’re looking for an insect that inspires fear, look no further than the black blister beetle. The black blister beetle is one of the types of beetles in Oregon.
It has a glossy black body and is covered with a hard shell called an elytron. This shell protects the two wings underneath it and its abdomen and head.
Further, it’s unique to the Pacific Northwest region of North America, specifically western Washington and northern Idaho. If you find one of these beetles, don’t panic!
They are usually not aggressive and will only bite if threatened or cornered. Even then, their bites aren’t usually harmful unless they sting with their tail end – which they use to defend themselves if they feel threatened.
27. Black Carpet Beetle
The Black Carpet Beetle is the most common in homes and buildings. These beetles often attract light and can fly or crawl into the home. They will find cracks, crevices, and other openings where they can hide during the day.
Meanwhile, the Black Carpet Beetle is a scavenger and will eat decaying organic matter such as animal dung, dead insects, food scraps, and more.
The larvae of this beetle can be a major household pest because they infest stored grains such as flour and oatmeal by eating through the packaging material or by boring into the kernels themselves.
This results in a fine white powdery frass (fecal matter) contaminating the food. They are also on our list of the types of beetles in Oregon.
28. Black Vine Weevil
The Black Vine Weevil is one of Oregon’s largest types of beetle. They are black and measure around 3 cm long by 2.3 cm wide.
It is classified as an insect but lays its eggs like a bird or a reptile. The larvae go through a metamorphosis as a butterfly or moth would.
The larvae start as tiny underground grubs eating roots and plant material. This beetle is only found west of the Cascade mountain range.
This separates eastern Washington from western Oregon and Northern California from Southern California on the west coast of the United States.
Moreover, you can find this beetle at low elevations up to about 1600 meters above sea level. It prefers to live near vineyards with grapes still developing fruit clusters.
29. Blister Beetle
The blister beetle (Lytta aenea) is a beautiful, shiny orange beetle with black spots. It’s native to the west coast of North America, from British Columbia to Baja California.
As one of the types of beetles in Oregon, it prefers moist habitats; these include forests, meadows, and wetlands.
Further, the blister beetle gets its common name from the defensive chemicals it produces when threatened. When it feels threatened or pinched, it emits chemicals that can cause blisters on your skin if touched!
The larvae are large, C-shaped grubs with brown heads and small legs near their head. They feed on decaying organic matter, such as dead leaves and rotting logs.
30. Burying Beetle
The burying beetle is one of the most distinctive beetles in Oregon. Burying beetles is a carrion beetle, which means they feed off decaying animal carcasses. They are often attracted to dead rodents, shrews, and small birds.Â
Once they arrive at the carcass, these beetles use their rostrum (or beak) to remove fur or feathers. Then, they dig a deep burrow up to two feet deep with an opening near the carcass.
One by one, these beetles will enter and leave the burrow carrying pieces of flesh back to their larvae, who wait patiently inside for their food.
31. California Root Borer Beetle (Prionus
The California root borer beetle is a longhorn species of Prionus. As its name suggests, this beetle is endemic to California and has been found throughout most of the state.
The adults are black with orange or yellow stripes, while the larvae are brownish-red with black spots.
This species, also present on the list of the types of beetles in Oregon, is known as an agricultural pest. It thrives on the roots of grasses, rangeland plants, and cultivated crops.
32. Calligrapha Beetle
The Calligrapha beetle is a leaf beetle found throughout the United States. These beetles are small and range from 1-2 cm long. The beetles have a metallic green color with a purplish-black head.
Typically, they are found on plants such as aspen, willows, and cottonwoods. It feeds on these plants for nectar, tree sap, and pollen.
They feed during the day but prefer to hide at night. They prey on many animals, including birds and bugs, such as ichneumons (parasitic wasps).
33. Case-bearing Leaf Beetle
The most common type of beetle in Oregon is the case-bearing leaf beetle. The case-bearing leaf beetle is an insect in the family Chrysomelidae, which includes over 20,000 species of leaf beetles.
Surging, the larvae of this beetle will create a protective layer around their bodies. They do this by chewing plant material and attaching it to their skin, with silk secretions from glands on their back called silk glands.
Once they have created a protective cocoon, they will pupate into an adult and emerge as an adult.
34. Cedar Beetle
The Cedar Beetle is a beetle that lives in the Pacific Northwest region. It is common to see this beetle running across the forest floor during the day. But it will become active at night and can be found under piles of bark or other debris.
That said, the female cedar beetle will lay eggs just beneath the surface of a tree. Once she laid her eggs, she chewed a hole through one of the tree’s outer layers.
Then, she fills it with an oily substance containing pheromones to attract male beetles ready to mate. This process helps ensure that no other Cedar Beetles mate with their offspring.
35. Checkered Beetle
The checkered beetle (Enoclerus Eximius) is a reddish-brown or black beetle found in North America. These beetles are about an inch long, and their elytra (wing covers) are marked with yellow, white, or red bands.
Also, they can be seen feeding on flowers such as lupine, lilac, and goldenrod. The larvae of this species, one of the various types of beetles in Oregon, will bore through the bark of dead trees to find food.
36. Clay-colored Billbug
The clay-colored billbug is a beetle found throughout the United States but is most commonly found in the Pacific Northwest. These beetles are typically brown or black and have long, slender heads.
Also, they have relatively short antennae and a pair of broad wings covering their abdomen. The length of these beetles ranges from 1/2 inch to 1 inch long.
Clay-colored billbugs are usually found on plants and trees, feeding on the leaves during summer months by making small holes with their mouthparts.
This beetle, one of the beetles in Oregon, has been known to damage crops and ornamental plants. The plants they destroy include fruit, maple, conifers, and more.
37. Click Beetle
The Click Beetle is on the list of varieties of beetles in Oregon. The Click Beetle is a small, brown insect with a flattened body. It does not have wings but an enlarged hind leg used for jumping.Â
This beetle is often seen on understory vegetation and logs of coniferous trees. Furthermore, the larvae are found in decaying logs, and the adults are active from late spring to late fall.
Some common species of the Click Beetle include Melanotus spp., Haptoncus spp., and Acrydium spp.
38. Dogbane Leaf Beetle
A dogbane leaf beetle belongs to the family Chrysomelidae, which includes over 450 genera and over 7,500 species.
It is a small brown beetle with a yellow head and two black spots on its wing covers. They are found across the United States east of the Rocky Mountains.
Specifically, the larvae develop in dogbane plants (Apocynum sp.), feeding on leaves and stems. They usually pupate under the bark of old trees or logs, though pupation can also occur below ground near the roots of trees or other logs.
The adult beetles emerge from pupae in early summer for about three weeks to mate and lay eggs before dying off.
39. Colorado Potato Beetle
The Colorado potato beetle is a type of beetle that is found throughout the United States.
These beetles are approximately 10 mm long and have a dark brown color with white spots on their wing covers. These types of beetles in Oregon can be found feeding on many plants.
However, they prefer to eat solanaceous plants such as potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tobacco plants.
Moving on, this beetle is considered one of the worst pests for these types of plants. This is because the adults eat holes through the leaves, which stunts plant growth and causes them to dry up quickly.
This makes them more susceptible to other pests or pathogens that may come along later in the season. Also, the adults tend to lay eggs near these plants, which can result in major infestations if left untreated.
40. Convergent Lady Beetle
The Convergent Lady Beetle is a large, oval-shaped beetle with a bright red or orange head and thorax.
It has six black spots on each wing cover (elytron). The convergent lady beetle is one of the most common in the United States.
In addition, the convergent lady beetle is one of the types of beetles in Oregon that are found all over the country.
But it is more commonly found east of the Cascade Mountains. This insect feeds on aphids, scales, mites, and other plant pests.
41. Cottonwood Leaf Beetle
The Cottonwood Leaf Beetle is found on our list of the different types of beetles in Oregon. It is also found all over the Western United States, including Oregon. It’s typically found on aspen, cottonwood, and willow trees.
This beetle can also be seen on other deciduous trees but prefers cottonwoods. Plus, they are most active from May to July during their mating season, when they mate and lay eggs.
The adults don’t eat, but the larvae feed on leaves for about three years before emerging as adults to start the cycle again.
42. Dark Brown Click Beetle
The dark brown click beetle is a native insect found on the west coast of northern California.
Originally, it was thought to be only found in Oregon and Washington, but the range has been discovered to include down to Monterey, California.
The beetles are about one inch long and are typically brown or black with yellow stripes running across its body.
They can usually be found near streams and vernal pools. These are where they feed on small invertebrates like other insects, snails, and tadpoles.
When disturbed, the dark brown click beetle gets its name from its distinctive clicking sound. This is caused by vibrations of a row of spines on the inside edge of its prothorax.
43. Darkling Beetle
The darkling beetle is one of the most common in Oregon and is quite small. They are so small that they can sit on a dime.
These beetles are black or brown with shiny shells, and their legs and antennae give them an ant-like appearance.
One of the most interesting things about this beetle is that it has two sets of wings – one for flying and one for hiding.
When it’s time to fly away from predators or bad weather, the wings unfold quickly and start beating to take off in flight mode.
These beetles will eat anything, including plants like grasses or dandelions to dead animals or fungi found under logs.
44. Desert Stink Beetle
The Desert Stink Beetle is particularly interesting as it has a very specific diet. The Desert Stink Beetle eats mainly ants, but it’s not uncommon for them to eat other insects if the opportunity arises.
What is special about this type of beetle is that they have developed a chemical defense mechanism. They release a foul-smelling substance that is an effective repellent whenever predators threaten them.
The Desert Stink Beetle can be found throughout the United States and Mexico, though they are most commonly found in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.
They’re also found in parts of Canada located west of the Mississippi River. They typically live on sandy dunes or around dry lake beds. All in all, they wrap up our list of the types of beetles in Oregon!
