Bug FAQEurasian Bee Beetle
Trichius fasciatus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Scarabaeidae
Also called: Bee Beetle, European Bee Beetle
The Eurasian bee beetle is a small beetle about 9 to 12 mm long with a black head and pronotum and yellow-orange elytra crossed by a few black bands. Adults appear from May to July on flowers in forest clearings and meadow edges, while the larvae live in dead wood of deciduous trees.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The head and pronotum are black; the wing covers are yellow to deep orange with several black stripes, the first of which reaches the scutellum. The sides of the thorax and the abdomen’s back are covered with yellow-orange or white fine hairs.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure between 9 and 12 mm in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are common in forest clearings of mountainous regions and on forest meadow edges, but are rare in lowland areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on pollen from a variety of flowering plants during their active months. Larvae develop in dead wood and other organic material of deciduous trees.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are present from May through July, feeding on pollen, while the larvae live in dead wood of deciduous trees.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
You can see adults from May to July.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species occurs throughout most of Europe and extends into the eastern Palearctic region.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see these beetles?
Adults are active and can be found on flowers from May through July.
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/Trichius_fasciatus
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 2026-10-22.