Hermit Flower Beetle

Description of hermit flower beetle

Image of hermit flower beetle
Hermit Flower Beetle

One of the largest insects in Iowa is a scarab beetle (Junebug) called the hermit flower beetle (Osmoderma eremicola). The adult beetles appear in July and August and are about one inch long and dark brown to mahogany brown in color. The hermit flower beetle is similar in general appearance to the typical Junebug except that it is not quite as oval and it is flat on the top. The beetles are strongly attracted to lights at night and are frequently discovered in a wide variety of situations. The adults are harmless and no control is needed.

Life cycle of hermit flower beetle

The beetles develop from larvae that are extra large, c-shaped white grubs found in very rotted wood such as old stumps and logs on the ground. Larvae may be up to 1.25 inches in length. The larvae are not pests of trees; they are present only after the tree is dead and the wood has started to decay.

Do you live in Iowa and have an insect you would like identified?

The Iowa State University Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic will identify your insect, provide information on what it eats, life cycle, and if it is a pest the best ways to manage them.  Please see our website for current forms, fees, and instructions on preserving and mailing insects.   

Contact information for each states diagnostic laboratory for U.S. residents.  If you live outside of Iowa please do not submit a sample without contacting the Plant & Insect Diagnostic Clinic.  

Category: 

Links to this article are strongly encouraged, and this article may be republished without further permission if published as written and if credit is given to the author, Horticulture and Home Pest News, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. If this article is to be used in any other manner, permission from the author is required. This article was originally published on . The information contained within may not be the most current and accurate depending on when it is accessed.