You're riding through the Liurnia mists and that familiar, twinkling chime starts ringing. It's high-pitched. It’s urgent. You look around, panic-rolling through a pack of Albinaurics, just to find a little bug pushing a ball of glowing junk. You kill it. You get... some health back? But you were at full health.
Total waste.
Honestly, scarab colors in Elden Ring are the game’s way of testing your impulse control. Most players just see a beetle and go into "unga bunga" mode, swinging at anything that moves. But if you actually stop to look at the color of the ball they’re rolling, you can save yourself a lot of unnecessary cliff-diving.
The Lands Between is literally crawling with these things, formally known as Teardrop Scarabs. They aren't just there for decoration; they are your primary source for Ashes of War, flask refills, and even high-level smithing materials.
Crimson and Cerulean: The Logistics Officers
Basically, these are your pit stops. If the scarab is rolling a bright red ball, it’s a Crimson Teardrop Scarab. Whack it, and you get a charge back for your Flask of Crimson Tears.
The blue ones? Those are Cerulean Teardrop Scarabs. They give you FP back.
Here is the thing most people miss: these specific scarabs respawn. You can farm them if you’re stuck in a dungeon and low on juice. But if your flasks are already capped out, killing them does absolutely nothing. You’re just murdering a bug for the sake of it. Which, fair enough, it’s Elden Ring—everything is trying to kill you anyway.
The Silver and Gold Confusion
This is where it gets kinda tricky. You'll see scarabs that look "whiteish" or "silver" and others that look "yellowish" or "gold."
In the base game, Silver Teardrop Scarabs are the ones you really want. These are the guys carrying the unique loot. We’re talking Ashes of War, Sorceries, Incantations, and those precious Somber Smithing Stones. Unlike the red and blue ones, these do not respawn once you’ve taken their treasure.
- Ash of War Scarabs: Usually look silver/grey.
- Glintstone Scarabs: Often have a blue-green tint and drop Sorceries.
- Incantation Scarabs: Lean more towards a golden glow and drop Faith-based spells.
If you see a silver one and it starts to vanish, don't freak out. Just rest at a Site of Grace. It’ll be back. But if you kill it and it drops nothing? You’ve probably already looted it in a previous life (or session) and it’s just a ghost of its former self.
Those Annoying Invisible Scarabs
You've seen them. Or rather, you've seen their footprints.
These are the "invisible" variant, usually found leaving glowing trails in places like the Limgrave beaches or the Altus Plateau. They are technically a type of silver scarab because they hold unique items. Pro tip: stop chasing them. Seriously. Just stand in their path and time a heavy attack or a ground-slam. They follow a fixed loop. If you try to run after them, you'll just end up falling off a ledge.
What About the "Exploding" Ones?
Some scarabs in later areas, like the Mountaintops of the Giants or the Shadow Realm, have a nasty habit of blowing up. These are usually darker in color or look "rocky."
If it looks particularly dense or has a jagged texture to its ball, be careful. Killing it will give you the item, but the explosion can easily one-shot a low-Vigor build. You've been warned.
The DLC Shift: Shadow of the Erdtree Changes
With the expansion, FromSoftware doubled down on the "utility" scarabs. You'll find plenty that drop crafting materials specific to the Realm of Shadow. The color coding remains largely the same, but the density of silver-grey scarabs dropping high-tier Smithing Stones increases significantly as you head toward Enir-Ilim.
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Don't Mix These Up With Talismans
Just a quick clarification because Google searches often muddle this: the Gold Scarab and Silver Scarab are also names of Talismans.
The Gold Scarab Talisman (found in the Abandoned Cave in Caelid) boosts your Rune gain. The Silver Scarab Talisman (found in the Hidden Path to the Haligtree) boosts your Item Discovery. These are items you wear, not bugs you chase.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Session
Next time you hear that "ting-ting-ting" sound, do this:
- Check the color immediately. If it’s Red or Blue and your flasks are full, ignore it. It’s a bait to lead you into an ambush.
- Identify the movement. If it’s a teleporting scarab (white glow), use a ranged spell or a fast weapon. If it’s invisible, watch the trail for 10 seconds to find the "choke point" where you can intercept it.
- Check your inventory. If you're hunting a specific Ash of War, like Seppuku or Royal Knight's Resolve, check a map first. Those specific silver scarabs are in very high-stakes locations (like freezing lakes or manor rooftops).
Stop wasting your stamina on the red ones when you're at full health. Save your energy for the silver ones that actually change your build.