# What kind of beetle is this?



## bigair (Apr 16, 2004)

Sorry, I have no picture. Over the weekend one was on my truck. It was the same size and body structure as a common junebug. It however had a pearl white body and the head looked as though it was gold plated. Just wondering if anyone else has encountered one of these. I saved it in a bottle which was accidently thrown out.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

That sounds like one of the VERY rare white golden head beetles. The last on ebay went for about $10,000.

L & O


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## stinger63 (Nov 25, 2003)

I wish I could give you the name of this particular bug but I dont know what it is.I have seen beetles thats have a similar discription.You might try doing a google search on michigan insects or beetles.This may help you identify the species.


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## NSD (Jan 14, 2004)

Is this what you had? Just one of many variations of the jewel beetle. 
The color depends on diet and environment.


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

If it's like the one pictured, that looks like the goldsmith beetle, _Cotalpa lanigera_. If it's not I'd say it's in the same subfamily Rutelinae (Shining Leaf Chafers). 

The jewel beetles are actually the metallic wood borers and are usually a long slender shape (they bore into trees). Many are brilliantly colored, hence the name jewel beetles. The emerald ash borer is an example of one.


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## bigair (Apr 16, 2004)

That is it? A goldsmith beetle. Never saw one before and was thinking it was another exotic that hitched a ride on Chinese pallets. Thanks for the help.


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

Well I can't say for 100% without actually looking at it myself but _Cotalpa lanigera_ (goldsmith beetle) is described in my entomology book as 20-26mm long and body shaped like the June beetles. It lists being colors such as metallic dark yellow, whitish yellow or greenish yellow and the ventral side with long dense hairs. So it appears there's some color variation in them but I've not seen one with elytra (front wings) as white as that. You can do a web search on it and see other pictures and see if they look similar. If it's not and the photo is the same as what you saw, it's probably one of the shining leaf chafers, but could possibly be in the June or Flower beetle subfamilies as well, hard to say when there's hundreds of species of them in North America alone.


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