Bug FAQCharcoal Beetle
Melanophila consputa · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Buprestidae
Source: Wikipedia
Melanophila consputa, the charcoal beetle, is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the Buprestidae family. They are attracted to forest fires by infrared sensors on their legs and females lay eggs in the charred remains of conifer trees. Large groups may swarm around smokers and bite people.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Melanophila consputa, the charcoal beetle, is a metallic wood-boring beetle in the Buprestidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Large groups can swarm around smokers and bite people.
Source: Wikipedia
Can it bite, sting or make you sick?
They are known to bite humans when they swarm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Charcoal beetles are attracted to forest fires by infrared sensors on their legs.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They locate fires with infrared sensors on their legs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: California, Arizona, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
Do charcoal beetles bite people?
Yes, they are known to bite humans when they swarm.
Source: Wikipedia
Why do charcoal beetles appear after a fire?
They are attracted to the infrared radiation from fires using sensors on their legs.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are charcoal beetles found?
They occur in Central America, North America, and Oceania.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Buprestidae)
Emerald Ash BorerAgrilus planipennisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Sculptured Pine BorerChalcophora virginiensisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Golden Buprestid BeetleBuprestis aurulenta
Anthaxia nitidulaDamages trees, gardens or crops
Western Sculptured Pine BorerChalcophora angulicollis
Anthaxia quadripunctataSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanophila_consputa
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-25 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-25.