Northern Range Extension of the Figeater Beetle,Cotinis mutabilis(Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), Into Nevada, Utah, and Colorado

Abstract

Abstract. The native Figeater Beetle, Cotinis mutabilis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae), is known to occur from Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California to northern South America. Here we present records from Nevada, where it became established in the late 1960s; from Utah, where it has been found since the late 2000s; and from Colorado, where it was found in 2012. These records indicate a recent northward range extension of the species, which circumvents the Colorado Plateau. The range extension of C. mutabilis has potential positive effects, namely the addition of a new pollinator to those areas, but also potential negative implications if the species damages fruit crops or facilitates damage by the Japanese Beetle, as the closely related Cotinis nitida does.