Bug FAQGlorious Jewel Scarab
Chrysina gloriosa · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Scarabaeidae
Also called: Glorious Scarab
Adult Glorious Jewel Scarabs are 20 to 30 mm long and shine bright green with silver stripes on their wing covers, though rare red or purple forms exist. They live only in the southern United States and northern Mexico, and adults are most often seen from June through August feeding on juniper leaves.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure about 20 to 30 mm (0.8 to 1.2 in) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found only in southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, southwestern Texas, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult beetles eat juniper leaves, while the larvae develop in decaying wood of Arizona sycamore.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are 20 to 30 mm long and display the characteristic bright green and silver-striped coloration.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are active both day and night, primarily from June to August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their range is limited to the southern United States and northern Mexico.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
A former synonym for this species is Plusiotis gloriosa.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 4 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do Glorious Jewel Scarabs look like?
They are bright green with silver stripes on their wing covers, and adults are 20 to 30 mm long; rare forms can be red or purple.
Source: Wikipedia
When are they active?
Adults are active day and night, mainly from June through August.
Source: Wikipedia
What do they eat?
Adults feed on juniper leaves, and the larvae live in decaying wood of Arizona sycamore.
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/Chrysina_gloriosa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.