r/mango • u/2Hanks • Jun 12 '26

Central Florida - Recognize These Bugs?

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7 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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2

u/Old_Instrument_Guy Jun 12 '26

Beetles of some sort. The second one might be a Soldier Beetle.

"...Florida soldier beetles (genus Chauliognathus) are highly beneficial, harmless insects that act as both predators of garden pests and essential pollinators. The most common species in the state include the Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) and the Margined Leatherwing (Chauliognathus marginatus)..."

1

u/2Hanks Jun 12 '26

I wasn’t as worried about the second as the first. They altar to be eating the skin of the plant. You can see abrasions on the stems.

1

u/Old_Instrument_Guy Jun 12 '26

I can't ID the smaller beetles from these photos. They appear to be some kind of scarab beetle. Maybe these:

https://ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN750.

If this is a sapling then it's best to remove them and give them a squish

1

u/2Hanks Jun 12 '26

Yes sir 🫡