Bug FAQPolyphylla occidentalis
Polyphylla occidentalis · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Scarabaeidae
Polyphylla occidentalis is a brownish beetle with white stripes that measures about 22-26 mm as an adult. It lives throughout the southeastern United States, is native to North America, and is active during the warm summer months.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The beetle is brownish with white stripes.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults are roughly 22 to 26 mm long.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is widespread in the southeastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on pine trees, while the larvae eat sedge roots.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The beetle is active throughout the warm summer months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found in North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 9 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi, Kansas.
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 does Polyphylla occidentalis eat?
Adults feed on pine trees and the larvae consume sedge roots.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find Polyphylla occidentalis?
They are common throughout the southeastern United States and are native to North America.
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/Polyphylla_occidentalis
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.