Bug FAQCarrot Beetle
Ligyrus gibbosus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Scarabaeidae
Also called: Western Carrot Beetle
Source: Wikipedia
Adult carrot beetles are about half an inch to three-quarters of an inch long. They are dark reddish-brown to black in color. They feed on roots, grasses and decaying vegetation and can damage sunflowers and other crops.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The beetle’s body is dark reddish-brown to black.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
It eats roots, grasses and decaying plant material in the soil.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 40 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, California, Texas, Utah, Nebraska, Florida, New Mexico, Colorado.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
How big does a carrot beetle get?
Adults are 13 to 17 mm long, about half to three-quarters of an inch.
Source: Wikipedia
Is the carrot beetle a pest to crops?
Yes, it damages sunflowers and other crops by feeding on their roots.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Scarabaeidae)
Japanese BeetlePopillia japonicaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Common Green June BeetleCotinis nitidaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Phyllophaga crinitaPhyllophaga crinitaDamages trees, gardens or crops
European Rose ChaferCetonia aurata
Mediterranean Spotted ChaferOxythyrea funestaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Oriental BeetleExomala orientalisDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligyrus_gibbosus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.