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Dark Flower Scarab

Euphoria sepulcralis[3]

The dark flower scarab, also called the spangled flower beetle, is a dark, white-flecked, day-flying scarab that buzzes like a bee; it feeds in flowers and is occasionally a pest of corn, roses and fruit blossoms.[1][2]

Group
Insect
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Scarabaeidae
US records
27 states
Sources
3 cited
Updated
2026-10-15
Dark flower scarab with white flecks on a white flower
Dark flower scarab with white flecks on a white flower. (c) Sandra H Statner, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. Related profiles
  9. Common questions
  10. Sources

How to identify it

  • Adults are dark with white marks that give a star-spangled look and buzz loudly in flight.[2]
  • It is one of the beetles most often sent to Florida's Division of Plant Industry for identification.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Other Euphoria flower scarabsSeveral other Euphoria species are similar; some are brown or green, the green ones nearly identical to the green June beetle.[2]

Where it lives

Found throughout the eastern United States, north to Illinois and Indiana and west to Texas; it occurs everywhere in Florida.[1]

US map: public records from 27 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Larvae grow beneath manure or other decaying material; adults are active from late spring through fall.[2]

Damage and signs

  • Adults eat pollen, nectar and perhaps other flower parts, and occasionally damage corn, roses and the flowers of blooming fruit trees.[1][2]

Health risk

None to people or pets.[1][2]

Control

Prevention

Usually tolerated; damage is occasional.[1][2]

Common questions

What is the dark speckled beetle buzzing around my flowers?
Likely a dark flower scarab.[1][2]
Does it damage plants?
Occasionally corn, roses and fruit blossoms.[1]
Is it a bee?
No, a scarab beetle that buzzes like a big bee in flight.[2]

Sources

  1. University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS, Featured Creatures), “A Flower Beetle, Euphoria sepulcralis (EENY-416/IN750).” ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN750 (accessed 2026-10-15)
  2. Missouri Department of Conservation, “Dark Flower Scarab (Field Guide).” mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/dark-flower-scarab (accessed 2026-10-15)
  3. iNaturalist, “Euphoria sepulcralis taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/53340 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-15. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.