Bug FAQCommon Malachite-beetle
Malachius bipustulatus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Melyridae
Also called: Malachite Beetle
The malachite beetle is a small soft-winged flower beetle about 5 to 7 mm long, with brownish head and pronotum and metallic green wing covers that have a bright red tip and orange side pouches. Adults live on herbs and flowers in low-altitude meadows, especially on plants in the Apiaceae, Asteraceae and Rosaceae families, while larvae develop under bark, in old wood or grass roots hunting small insects and slugs.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Body length is 5 to 7 mm (0.20 to 0.28 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They mainly inhabit low-altitude meadows and stay on herbs and flowers during the day, especially on Apiaceae, Asteraceae and Rosaceae species.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults feed on pollen, nectar and small insects; larvae hunt small insects, larvae and slugs under bark, in old wood or grass roots.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species undergoes complete metamorphosis with egg, larva, pupa and adult stages; the pupal stage is a resting period when the body transforms.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Malachius bipustulatus belongs to the soft-winged flower beetle family Melyridae, subfamily Malachiinae.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What do malachite beetles look like?
They are 5 to 7 mm long, have a brownish head and pronotum, metallic green wing covers with a bright red tip, and orange side pouches on the abdomen.
Source: Wikipedia
Where are malachite beetles usually found?
They live in low-altitude meadows and are commonly seen on herbs and flowers, especially on plants in the Apiaceae, Asteraceae and Rosaceae families.
Source: Wikipedia
What do malachite beetle larvae eat?
Larvae live under bark, in old wood or grass roots where they hunt small insects, other larvae and slugs.
Source: Wikipedia
How do malachite beetles develop?
They undergo complete metamorphosis, passing through egg, larva, pupa and adult stages.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Melyridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malachius_bipustulatus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.