Bug FAQHarlequin Beetle
Acrocinus longimanus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Cerambycidae
Source: Wikipedia
The harlequin beetle is a large longhorn beetle, 4.3 to 7.5 cm long, with males having forelegs up to 15 cm. It lives in tropical and subtropical forests of the Amazon, Atlantic, Cerrado, Caatinga and other South-American regions, and can also be found in secondary forest and green city areas. Larvae feed on dead wood, helping early decomposition, while adults may occasionally damage living trees.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Both sexes show bright black, orange-red and greenish-yellow patterns that help them blend with lichen-covered trunks.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Body length ranges from 4.3 to 7.5 cm. Large males have forelegs that can reach 15 cm, about twice the length of females of the same body size.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
If they bore into living trees they may be regarded as a pest, but otherwise they help decompose dead wood.
Source: Wikipedia
Does it bite or sting?
They can bite humans with strong mandibles when threatened, causing only mild discomfort. Males often bite each other during fights, sometimes breaking off antennae or leg pieces.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are common in undisturbed forests but also occur in secondary forest and green urban areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae tunnel through dead wood, using it as food and creating habitats for other saproxylic organisms. When they use living trees they can be considered a pest, but they mainly aid decomposition of dead wood.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Mating and egg-laying occur at dawn or dusk on a wide variety of tree species. Just before pupating, larvae can be about 13 cm long.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults fly at night and can locate freshly fallen trees by the smell of sap. Mating and egg-laying mainly happen at dusk or dawn.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Americas, from Mexico through Central America to northern Argentina, southern Brazil and Paraguay.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
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Questions people ask
Do harlequin beetles bite people?
Yes, they may bite when handled, but the bite is only mildly painful.
Source: Wikipedia
How big do harlequin beetles get?
Their bodies are 4.3 to 7.5 cm long, and large males have forelegs up to 15 cm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find harlequin beetles?
They live in tropical and subtropical forests of South America, from Mexico to northern Argentina, and also appear in secondary forests and green city areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The larvae feed on dead wood, tunneling through it and helping early decomposition.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Cerambycidae)
House LonghornHylotrupes bajulusCan damage your home
Asian Longhorned BeetleAnoplophora glabripennisDamages trees, gardens or crops
Red Milkweed BeetleTetraopes tetrophthalmus
White-spotted SawyerMonochamus scutellatusCan damage your home
Red Pine Longhorn BeetleStictoleptura rubra
Spotted Longhorn BeetleRutpela maculataDamages trees, gardens or cropsSources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlequin_beetle
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.