Christmas Beetle

Australian insects · scarab beetles · colorful

Named for timing. Christmas beetles got their name because they become super abundant in Australia right around Christmas time. You'll see them buzzing around in huge numbers during the holidays.

Shimmering colors. These beetles are really eye-catching, with shells (called elytra) that can be dark brown, light brown, green, or even shiny green-yellow. They look almost jeweled in the sunlight.

Loud and clumsy. Christmas beetles are part of the scarab family and are famously noisy, bumpy fliers. They crash around loudly, kind of like the cockchafers that live in Europe.

Pretty large beetles. Compared to many other beetles, Christmas beetles are quite big, making them easy to spot in gardens and parks. The genus is called Anoplognathus and has several different species.