Some of you may have noticed small mounds of sand ranging 5โ to 7โ wide and 2โ to 3โ high on some lawns, fields, and pastures.ย No, theyโre not baby Pocket Gophers!ย Theyโre Florida Deep Digger Scarab Beetles!ย Thereโs no need to worry.ย This particular species does not feed on the roots of grass, unlike the dreaded white grubs which grow up to be May/June Beetles, Masked Chafers, or Green June Beetles.
Deep Diggers are unique insects because they are Winter breeders.ย From November through March, you can see their mounds in sparse sandy lawns throughout our service area, especially in sandhill-type habitats.ย Strangely enough, they do not occur in the Panhandle, though.ย
During mating season, the female digs a burrow that goes straight down to depths between four and ten feet.ย I bet youโre thinking,ย thatโs incredible!ย At the end of the burrow, she constructs a cell at a 90ยฐ angle.ย She then packs the cell with organic debris such as leaf litter, acorns, and pine straw. ย She will lay one egg in the cell.ย The larva will feed off the debris until itโs all consumed and then enter into the pupal stage.ย It takes nearly one year to complete its life cycle!ย Now thatโs profound, hence its scientific name, Peltotrupesย profundus.
In Florida, we have two species of Deep Diggers.ย We have the Florida Deep Digger and the Ocala Deep Digger.ย The Ocala Deep Digger has a limited range in isolated parts of Sand Pine habitats in the Ocala National Forest.
If you want to try your luck at finding one of these shining blue or blue/green jewels, hereโs what to do.ย Find a mound and clear the debris from around the perimeter.ย The actual hole is not in the center of the mound but on the edge of the mound.ย The beetle crawls out of the hole in the ground and enters another hole at the base of the mound.ย It actually pushes the dirt to the center of the mound and up the middle.ย Thatโs why some mounds are several inches high.ย Move your hand slowly through the mound and if youโre lucky you may find one in the mound.ย If you find one, admire it for its beauty and then release it back where you found it.ย ย Now, go try to find one! ย ย ย ย
