MAYATE: CHARACTERISTICS, HABITAT, REPRODUCTION, BIOLOGICAL CONTROL - BIOLOGY - 2025

The mayate or green beetle (Cotinis mutabilis) is a polyphagous beetle belonging to the Cetoniidae family. Its coloration, in different shades of metallic green, allow it to be one of the most striking beetles in nature.

In addition, this beetle has another very particular characteristic, since the sound it produces at the beginning of the flight is similar to the sound of the bumblebee. It can be found inhabiting mainly in North America and Mexico.

Cotinis mutabilis (Gory & Percheron, 1833). Source: pixabay.com

characteristics

- Morphology

Larvae

The body of the larvae is elongated and thick. It has six short legs, which do not allow it to walk, therefore they move on its back with the help of short and stiff hairs. When moving, its legs extend upwards.

Cotinis mutabilis larvae.

Source: Elf

Adults

Upon reaching the adult stage, the body of the beetle takes an ovate shape, protected by rigid wings. These serve to protect the pair of flexible and thin wings at the moment of rest. These wings or elytra, contain a thick chitin layer that ends in the posterior part at the level of the elitral suture, in a pair of somewhat developed spines.

Cotinis mutabilis. Source: pixabay.com

Likewise, its legs begin to be useful and allow it to move on the ground, branches or any other surface. The anterior tibiae have three developed teeth (in both males and females). The posterior tibias and the media have a dense row of more or less long silks.

On the head they have clearly visible hairs or bristles. The anterior edge of the carapace is straight with a distinctive small flat horn that rises vertically. This is pointed in the smaller beetles; or rounded, bilobed, or truncated and somewhat expanded in larger specimens.

Cotinis mutabilis adult

specimen Source: ALAN SCHMIERER

The head area is concave, having a medial and longitudinal elevation that goes from the forehead to the part of the carapace. Now the pronotum shows a small elevation in the central part of the anterior border. Trailing edge projects back.

To distinguish between males and females, the anterior tibiae can be observed, since they are slightly more stylized and the abdomen is somewhat concave in males.

- Size

The larvae can grow up to 5 cm, being quite thick. Adults can measure 24.4 millimeters long by 18.9 millimeters wide.

- Color

There are two types of coloration in this type of beetle.

On the one hand:

The dorsal color of the body is dark green and, in some cases, it has a yellowish or reddish luster. Although in most, this color is opaque except for the head, the edges of the pronotum, the mesepimer, the elytra, the pygidium and the scutellum, which are of a bright metallic color. In its ventral area, including the legs, its color is bright metallic green.

For another:

Both for the dorsal and ventral areas, the coloration is dark brown, almost black. In most of the dorsal part the color is opaque, except for the head, the edges of the pronotum, the mesepimer, the scutellum, the elytra and the pygidium which are bright. The underside and legs are dark brown, but shiny.

It should be noted that the opacity in both forms of coloration can be lost due to wear in some individuals.

Groups according to their chromatic variation

Due to their wide dorsal chromatic variation, these beetles have been distributed into three main groups, which in turn have been described in 15 ways:

- Black group: this includes the batesi, atrata, blanchardi, burmeisteri and goryi forms. These insects are characterized by a black color on their legs and in their ventral region.

- Green group: they can be divided into eight forms, which are aurantiaca, typica, perbosci, schaumi, dugesi, percheroni, jansoni and malina. They stand out because all the legs and their ventral region have a bright green color.

- Purple group: here is the nigrorubra form, which is characterized by presenting a metallic ventral color.

- diet

The larvae feed on decomposing organic matter, especially bovine manure. Some of these insects can be found associated with the detritus of the cultivator ants of the Atta and Acromymex genera.

Adults mostly feed on apples, figs, peaches, grapes (sweet fruits), flowers, pollen, sap, nectar, and certain sugary runoff from the stems or branches of the genera Opuntia, Psidium, Schinus, Picus, Agave, Ipomea, Anona, Zea, Prunus, Ficus, Selenicereus, Annona, as well as other cultivated and wild plants.

Diet of the green June beetle Source: Davefoc

An indication of recent feeding activity by the larvae is the presence of fresh pulverized mounds. These are found on the trails as the weather turns warmer.

The larvae affect crop yield by piercing young stems and leaving a slime-like secretion on attacked pods. This slime serves as a culture medium, which begins to rot and allows the entry of other fungi and bacteria that can attack said culture.

Damage caused to crops by Cotinis mutabilis. Source: Katja Schulz from Washington, DC, USA

Sometimes these beetles feed excessively, affecting the fruits and causing serious economic damage.

Taxonomy

This beetle is commonly known as the green beetle, green June beetle, or pipiol. Its taxonomic description is as follows:

-Animalia Kingdom.

-Filo: Arthropoda.

-Class: Insecta.

-Order: Coleoptera.

-Super family: Scarabaeoidea.

-Family: Cetoniidae.

-Gender: Cotinis.

-Species: Cotinis mutabilis (Gory & Percheron, 1833).

Habitat and distribution

Habitat

The green beetle is usually found in any type of plant formation, especially in shade trees. In addition, it prefers altitudes that go from sea level to 2,500 meters above sea level.

When it is larva, it prefers fields with enough organic matter, preferably manure in the process of humification. In turn, adults opt for the middle subdeciduous forest or agricultural areas, where they feed on sorghum, pine, peach, banana, plum, nopal, lemon, pear, apple, orange, sapote, blackberry, oak and flowers.

It is noteworthy that its flight has almost always been observed for the months of April to October.

Distribution

The Cotinis mutabilis species is reported in Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras and Texas, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma in the United States.

Reproduction

Cotinis mutabilis reproduces once a year. To do this, females produce substances to attract males. After mating, the female looks for an optimal spot (preferably moist organic soil) and digs in it. Next, she makes a bag of soil the size of a walnut, where she lays 10 to 30 eggs. The females carry out two ovipositions.

The eggs are 1/16 inch in diameter and nearly round in shape. These have an incubation period of approximately 18 to 24 days. They then surface to feed.

It is noteworthy that before moving to the pupal stage, the mature larvae begin a period of hibernation, which ends at the beginning of spring. At this time is when they modify their eating habits to consume fruits. The pupa produces a kind of envelope that allows it to reorganize the tissues and organs of the beetle, as well as its metamorphosis.

On the ground, the larvae leave small mounds made of dirt around the entrance to each tunnel. They are raised in the ground, approximately until the end of April to May. Later they remain in the pupal stage for about 2 to 3 weeks.

By the month of August, these larvae are large enough so that the mounds can be seen on the ground and, in mid-September, on the highest vegetation.

Biologic control

Adults can be controlled using special traps, such as cut ripe fruit traps. For greater effectiveness, these traps should be placed close to the crops, as they need to be monitored.

It should be noted that if there is no delay in the harvest and the fruit does not overripe before harvesting, the problems with this species are very few.

Beetle control. Source: incidencematrix

Using insecticides locally is a very good option. Now, when the beetle population is high, it is advisable to use insecticides with long residual action.

June green beetle predator

A great predator of this species is the Scolia dubia wasp, which is found where there are larvae of this beetle. It is also known as the blue winged wasp and is sometimes used as a controller for the green beetle.

Scolia dubia wasp.

Source: xpda

This controller wasp is blue to black in color and is over an inch long. It is characterized by presenting the posterior half of the abdomen of brown color, with two large yellow spots.

Its method of action is based on lowering to the ground and, upon finding a larva, sting it to cause paralysis. They then lay their eggs in it so that, once they hatch, their larvae can feed on the remains of the larvae of the green June beetle.

References

1. Barrales-Alcalá D., Criollo-Angeles I. and Golubov J. 2012. Note on Cotinis mutabilis (Coleóptera: Scarabaeidae) feeding on Opuntia robusta (Cactaceae) fruits in Cadereyta, Querétaro, México. Cact Suc Mex 57 (3): 86-91.
2. Bitar A., ​​Sánchez J., Salcedo E. and Castañeda J. 2016. Synopsis of the chromatic forms of Cronitis mutabilis (Gory & Percheron, 1833) (Coleóptera, Cetoniidae, Cetoniinae, Gymnetini). Acta zoológica Mexicana. 32 (3): 270-278.
3. Catalog of Life: 2019 Annual Checklist. 2019. Cotinis mutabilis. Taken from: catalogueoflife.org
4. Delgado L. and Márquez J. 2006. State of knowledge and conservation of the beetles Scarabaeoidea (Insecta) from the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Instituto de ecología, AC Acta zoológica mexicana. 22 (2): 57-108.
5. Deloya C., Ponce J., Reyes P. and Aguirre G. Beetles from the state of Michoacán. (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea). Michoacan University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo. p. 228.
6. Pérez B., Aragón A., Aragón M and López J. 2015. Methodology for the reproduction of insects in the laboratory. Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla. Institute of Sciences, Agroecology Center. p. 204.