Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles (Polyphaga) » Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles (Scarabaeoidea) » Scarab Beetles (Scarabaeidae) » Fruit and Flower Chafers (Cetoniinae)

Subfamily Cetoniinae - Fruit and Flower Chafers

June beetle in September? - Cotinis nitida

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)

Superfamily Scarabaeoidea (Scarab, Stag and Bess Beetles)

Family Scarabaeidae (Scarab Beetles)

Subfamily Cetoniinae (Fruit and Flower Chafers)

Other Common Names

Flower Beetles

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Cetoniinae Leach, 1815

Explanation of Names

The subfamily is named for Old World genus Cetonia (e.g., Cetonia aurata). Origin of name is obscure--The Century Dictionary (1) does not list an etymology, stating simply that it is New Latin (NL). Perhaps there is a connection with Greek ketos (κετος), whale. (Leach also described many marine species, so this is plausible.)

Other possibilities: One Internet source says that ceton is Gaulish for woods, forest. Ceton (or Seton) is a surname as well, so perhaps this is an eponym.

Identification

Characteristics (2), (3), (Generic Guide to New World Scarabs--key)

body shape usually somewhat flattened

none have horns

Antennal insertion is visible from above--clypeus with sides constricted in the middle, just in front of the eyes

mandibles and labrum hidden by clypeus

pygidium exposed

tarsal claws simple (not forked), and more-or-less equal in size

Food

Many found on flowers, where feed on pollen.

Life Cycle

Larvae feed on roots, organic material in soil, or decaying wood in trees. Some are associated with ant nests (myrmecophiles), and adults may be found there as well.

See Also

Rutelinae - Shining Leaf Chafers

Melolonthinae - May Beetles and June Bugs

Print References

The Century Dictionary--entry for Cetonia (1)

Harpootlian, p. 115 (2)

White (1983), p. 147 (3)

Internet References

Guide to Genera of New World Scarabs--overview, and scarab key

Works Cited

1.	The Century Dictionary: an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language

2.	Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of South Carolina By Phillip J. Harpootlian

3.	Peterson Field Guides: Beetles By Richard E. White

Contributed by Phillip Harpootlian on 7 March, 2005 - 4:00pm
Additional contributions by cotinis
Last updated 5 September, 2009 - 11:22am

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