green fruit beetle

English

a green fruit beetle, Cotinis mutabilis

Noun

green fruit beetle (plural green fruit beetles)

1. A beetle (Cotinis mutabilis) that ranges from central Texas across the southwestern United States and Mexico and feeds on cactus, desert trees, and cultivated fruit.

   Synonyms: figeater beetle, fig-eater

   • 2011 June 22, Katherine Barrington, “How to Kill the Green Fruit Beetle”, in Garden Guides‎^[1]:

     Often mistaken for their smaller relative the Japanese beetle, green fruit beetles feed on fruit trees.

   • 2015 July 15, “Green Fruit Beetle”, in The Daily Garden‎^[2]:

     Since these pests are attracted to the smell of ripe fruit, harvest frequently. Also, you can plant crops that ripen earlier in the season to avoid feeding green fruit beetles.