The Christmas beetle belongs to the family Scarabaeidae. It is a name commonly given to the Australian beetle, genus Anoplognathus. They are known as Christmas beetles because they are abundant in urban areas close to Christmas. Christmas beetles are relatively large beetles which grow to around 20 millimetres in length and can be present in large numbers throughout the summer months.
There are 35 species of Christmas beetles right across Australia, but most prefer the moister east and south easterly areas, especially near the coast. Many are glossy or brightly colored and are often attracted to lights at night around Christmas time. They can be green or black, but most are golden brown.
Adult Christmas beetles feed on the leaves of Eucalyptus trees and can cause severe defoliation when weather conditions favour the emergence of large numbers.
The larvae of Christmas beetles live and develop in the soil where they eat decaying organic matter or plant roots. Towards the end of winter or in early spring the larvae move close to the soil surface to pupate. Adults emerge several weeks later, often after rain has softened the soil allowing them dig their way out. Adults then fly to the nearest food plant to feed and mate.
The life cycle extends over one or two years, depending on species. Eggs are laid into soil or compost in the spring and early summer. Females are capable of laying between 20 and 40 eggs each.
Appearance and Identification
Up close, the Christmas Beetle is a genuinely handsome insect. The elytra, or wing cases, have a smooth, almost lacquered quality, and in many species the iridescence shifts subtly depending on the angle of the light, ranging from deep amber to olive green to burnished copper. The underside is often paler and clothed in fine hairs. The legs are sturdy and well equipped for gripping, and the beetle’s overall build has the solid, rounded quality typical of the Scarabaeidae family. Different species can be tricky to tell apart in the field, but size, colour and geography together narrow things down considerably. In any case, finding one resting on a window screen or tumbling clumsily around a porch light on a warm December evening is an experience with a charm entirely its own.
Habitat and Distribution
Christmas Beetles are found across most of Australia, from tropical Queensland to the cooler south-eastern states, but their stronghold is the eastern seaboard, where rainfall is higher and eucalyptus forests are extensive. They are equally at home in native bush and suburban gardens, provided suitable food plants are nearby, and it is this adaptability to human-altered landscapes that makes them such a familiar presence in towns and cities during summer. Their distribution across the continent is shaped almost entirely by the availability of two things: eucalyptus trees for the adults to feed on and suitable soil for the larvae to develop in.
Adult Diet and Feeding Behaviour
Adult Christmas Beetles feed on the leaves of Eucalyptus trees and can cause severe defoliation when weather conditions favour the emergence of large numbers. In outbreak years, heavily affected trees can be stripped almost bare, their canopies reduced to a skeleton of bare branches in a matter of days. Healthy, well-established eucalypts will generally recover, pushing out fresh growth once beetle numbers decline, but repeated defoliation over successive seasons can weaken trees considerably, making them vulnerable to disease and other stress. The beetles feed most actively at dusk and into the night, and their habit of congregating in the same trees in large groups makes their impact all the more concentrated.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The life cycle of the Christmas Beetle extends over one or two years depending on the species, a surprisingly lengthy commitment for an insect that spends much of its adult life in a blaze of summer activity. Eggs are laid into soil or compost in spring and early summer, with each female capable of producing between 20 and 40 eggs. The larvae hatch and settle into the soil, where they feed on decaying organic matter or plant roots, growing steadily through the cooler months. Towards the end of winter or in early spring, the larvae move close to the soil surface to pupate. Adults emerge several weeks later, often triggered by rain that softens the ground and allows them to dig their way out, a detail that connects their appearance rather beautifully to the summer storm season. They then fly to the nearest food plant to feed and mate, completing a cycle that is quietly but intimately tied to the rhythms of the Australian year.
Decline and Conservation
There is a less cheerful footnote to the Christmas Beetle story. Across much of south-eastern Australia, long-term observers have noted a marked decline in beetle numbers over recent decades, with many people reporting that the abundant swarms of their childhood have thinned considerably. The causes are not fully understood, but habitat loss, particularly the clearing of native grassland and woodland that larvae depend on, is widely considered a significant factor.
Soil compaction, pesticide use and prolonged drought, which affects soil moisture and the organic matter available to developing larvae, are also thought to play a role. The Christmas Beetle has not yet attracted the conservation attention given to more celebrated species, but its quiet disappearance from suburban summers would represent a genuine loss, not only ecologically, but as one of those small, reliable pleasures that mark the turning of an Australian year.
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Sources & References
Cite This Page
APA
Joanne Spencer (2026, April 14). Christmas Beetle. Animal Corner. Retrieved 2026, April 16, from https://animalcorner.org/animals/christmas-beetle/
MLA
Joanne Spencer. "Christmas Beetle." Animal Corner, 2026, April 14, https://animalcorner.org/animals/christmas-beetle/.
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