Bug FAQMountain monkey beetle
Hoplia argentea · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Scarabaeidae
The mountain monkey beetle is a medium-sized scarab about 9 to 12 mm long, its back covered in pale green to yellow-ochre scales that fade to brown as the beetle ages. Adults appear from May to September in open habitats such as meadows, gardens and forest edges, where they feed on flower pollen, especially from Apiaceae, while the larvae live in soil feeding on plant roots.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults grow to about 9 to 12 mm (0.35 to 0.47 in) in length.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on pollen of flowers, especially Apiaceae, from May through September. Larvae develop in soil and eat the roots of various plants during summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae feed on plant roots in the soil during summer, then hibernate and emerge as adults in spring.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are most commonly seen from May to September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is common in mountainous areas across most of Europe, including countries such as Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Like other Hoplia species, it has relatively long hind legs ending in a single nail.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I expect to see mountain monkey beetles?
Adults are most active from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae live in soil and feed on the roots of various plants during the summer.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell this beetle apart from other Hoplia species?
It has fairly long hind legs that end in a single nail, a trait shared with its close relatives.
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/Hoplia_argentea
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.