Caterpillar Hunter Beetles take over Tucson

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TUCSON (KVOA) – The heavy rains of the past few months have caused plants to bloom in southern Arizona. These plants have increasingly attracted more beetles, including large beetles.

Caterpillar beetles are the big beetles we’ve seen all over the area for the past month or so.

These giant beetles have not experienced such a population boom in years.

It is all thanks to the overactive monsoons this year.

The beetles do not depend on the rain themselves, but instead feed on other insects that benefit from the rain.

Gene Hall is part of the Department of Entomology at the University of Arizona.

“That’s the thing with these bugs. They are predators. They feed on other insects,” he said. “They have a large source of food right now and they are taking advantage of what is increasing their population.”

These beetles are not the pointed beetles that we are used to.

“The stink beetles that people often refer to are from a different family actually called dark beetles,” Hall said. “These beetles tend to be scavengers and also eat plants. These are two different species of beetle with two different life stories. “

The population of pinacate beetles in Arizona typically remains constant, while the population of caterpillars from the top of the beetle food chain fluctuates during the rainy season.

The caterpillar beetle population has probably already peaked, as the rain and cooler temperatures are not included in the forecast.

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