The "green fruit beetle" is a member of the scarab beetle family. It belongs to the subfamily Cetoniinae, comprising a group of beetles commonly called flower chafers since many of them feed on pollen, nectar, or petals. Its habitat is primarily the southwestern United State and Mexico. Figeater beetles are often mistaken for green June beetles (Cotinis nitida) and Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica); however, they do not damage lawns and fruit crops to the same extent as their eastern cousins.

Adult figeater beetles grow to approximately 1.25 inches (3 cm). They are a semi-glossy green on the top and a brilliant iridescent green and a slight amount of reflection red on the underside and legs. They are active during daylight hours, often congregating in the shade of trees near choice breeding grounds to find mates. They make a loud buzzing sound similar to that of carpenter bees, possibly because the elytra are closed when it is in flight and they are only barely raised during takeoff.