Violin beetle

← (45) Jewel Beetle

New Horizons bugs

Citrus long-horned beetle (47) →

New Horizons bugs
← (45) Jewel Beetle	→ Citrus long-horned beetle (47)

Violin beetle
Image gallery
Real-world info
Name: Mormolyce phyllodes Family: Carabidae - Ground Beetles
Main appearances
DnM DnM+ AC DnMe+ iQue WW CF NL NH
Other appearances
Film HHD aF PC
Names in other languages  バイオリンムシ  提琴虫  Mormolyce  Escarabajo violín  Carabo violino  Листовидная жужелица  바이올린벌레  提琴蟲  Mormolyce  Escarabajo violín  Geigenkäfer  Vioolkever

The violin beetle is an insect that appears in Animal Crossing: City Folk, Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. They can be found on tree stumps of regular and cedar trees, and are uncommon. In New Horizons, it can be caught from late spring into early summer and again during fall, spawning all day unlike in previous games.

Catch details

In City Folk

#39

"I caught a violin beetle! And the world's tiniest violin plays a sad song."

Description	These resemble violins--hence the name. They are so thin, they fit in wood gaps.
Time of year	Jun; Sep – Nov
Time of day	Jun: 4 AM – 7 PM Sep – Oct: 4 AM – 5 PM Nov: 8 AM – 5 PM
Peak times	N/A
Location	On tree stumps
Bug size	40 mm
Rarity	Very uncommon
Selling price	260 Bells
Furniture size

In New Leaf

#43

"I caught a violin beetle! But how do I tune it?"

Time of year	Jun; Sep – Nov
Time of day	Jun: 4 AM – 7 PM Sep – Oct: 4 AM – 5 PM Nov: 8 AM – 5 PM
Peak times	N/A
Location	On tree stumps
Size	51 mm
Rarity	Very uncommon
Selling price	260 Bells
Furniture size

In New Horizons

#46

"I caught a violin beetle! Apparently I'm as fit as a fiddle!"

Time of year	North: May – Jun; Sep – Nov South: Mar – May; Nov – Dec
Time of day	All day
Location	On tree stumps
Weather	Any except rain
Spawn requirement	Appears from the start of the game
Selling prices	Nook's Cranny:  450 Bells  Flick:  675 Bells
Furniture size

Donating to the museum

As with all insects in the Animal Crossing series, the Violin Beetle can be donated to the museum followed by a small talk by Blathers.

In City Folk

After the player has donated a Violin Beetle to the museum, Blathers will say this:

"I've heard this bug got is name because its body resembles a violin... I'm not so sure though. All slick and black and shiny... If you were to ask me, it looks rather more like an awful locust..."

The violin beetle can be found on the tree stump, located on the middle level of the insect section.

In New Leaf

Upon being donated, the beetle can be found in the left-hand back room of the bug exhibit, sharing a large tree stump with the longhorn beetle. The exhibit has this to say about the violin beetle:

"As the name indicates, these bugs resemble violins. They're very thin and roughly five mm thick. They stay on top of fungi on trees and prey upon small bugs that happen by. When predators come near, violin beetles emit a noxious fluid to protect themselves. The fluid is toxic and can be painful if it touches your hands or eyes, so be careful!""

In New Horizons

"The violin beetle gets its name from its shape. That is, SOME think it resembles the stringed instrument. If you ask me, this is an insult to violins! With its flat body and small head, the violin beetle looks like nothing but a repulsive bug, plain and simple. In fact it is so repulsive, it oozes a foul liquid when frightened! Ugh! This insect strikes a sour note indeed."

When donated, the violin beetle can be found in the main room of the bug exhibit, on a tree stump to the left of the northernmost bridge.

Gallery

For more images, view this subject's gallery.

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  Animal Crossing: City Folk

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  Animal Crossing: New Leaf

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  Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Real-world information

According to the in-game encyclopedia, "These resemble violins-- hence the name. They are so thin, they fit in wood gaps."

Mormolyce phyllodes, commonly known as the violin beetle, is a species of ground beetles in the subfamily Lebiinae. These beetles possess a flat leaf-shaped, shiny black or brown body with distinctive violin-shaped translucent elytra (hence the common name). This characteristic mimicry protects them against predators, while their flat shaped body allow them to dwell in soil cracks or under the bark and leaves of trees.

Both adults and larvae are predators, feeding on insect larvae. For defense purposes, they secrete the poisonous butyric acid.

Names in other languages

	バイオリンムシ baiorin-mushi	Violin beetle
	바이올린벌레 baiollinbeolle	Violin beetle
	提琴虫 tíqínchóng	Violin beetle
	提琴蟲 Unknown
	Листовидная жужелица Listovidnaya zhuzhelitsa	Violin beetle
	Vioolkever	Violin beetle
	Geigenkäfer	Violin beetle
	Escarabajo violin	Violin beetle
	Mormolyce	Genus name
	Carabo violino	Violin beetle