Bug FAQCommon Sun Beetle
Amara aenea · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Carabidae
Also called: Sun harp ground beetle
The common sun beetle (Amara aenea) is a ground beetle found across most of Europe, northern Asia, and parts of northern Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
It is called the common sun beetle.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives on the ground in most of Europe and northern Asia. Its range also includes parts of northern Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adult beetles hunt and eat other insects, including pests like the apple maggot and soybean aphid. The larvae eat a mixed diet of plant and animal material.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is also native to parts of northern Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 42 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, Oregon, Tennessee, New York, Vermont.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: introduced in North America; introduced in Canada; introduced in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What does the common sun beetle eat?
Adults prey on insects such as apple maggots and soybean aphids, while larvae are omnivorous.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the common sun beetle found?
It occurs across most of Europe, northern Asia, and parts of northern Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Carabidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amara_aenea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.