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Several pale blue-gray death-feigning beetles on a rock.
Photo: Ltshears, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Blue Death-Feigning Beetle

Cryptoglossa verrucosa

A pale blue desert beetle from the southwestern U.S. that flops over and plays dead when startled.

🐞 Insects
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About the Blue Death-Feigning Beetle

Blue death-feigning beetles live in the southwestern United States. Their steel-gray to pale blue color helps them blend in. If they get wet, they turn flat black, and the blue comes back when they dry. They eat plants and dead animal matter, and can live up to 10 years.[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name
Cryptoglossa verrucosa[1]
Lifespan
Up to 10 years.[1]
Diet
Plants and dead animal matter.[1]
Habitat
Desert, often near water.[1]
Where it lives
Southwestern United States.[1]
Conservation status
Common; not endangered. Not assessed by the IUCN.[1]

Fun facts

  • These beetles play dead when startled.[1]
  • They turn black when wet and blue again when dry.[1]
  • They can live up to 10 years, long for an insect.[1]

Vocabulary

feign
To pretend.
camouflage
Colors, patterns or shapes that help an animal blend in.
scavenger
An animal that eats dead plants or animals it finds.
insect
A small animal with six legs and a body in three parts: head, thorax and abdomen.
beetle
An insect with hard front wings that cover its back.

See it in person

Sources

  1. [1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Death Feigner Beetle.” https://www.sfzoo.org/death-feigner-beetle/ (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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