Species Trigonopeltastes delta - Delta Flower Scarab

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Internet References · Works Cited

Delta Flower Scarab--mating - Trigonopeltastes delta - male - female

Dead, in Rotten Oak - Trigonopeltastes delta

Delta Flower Beetle - Dorsal - Trigonopeltastes delta

Delta Flower Scarab - Trigonopeltastes delta

Delta Flower Scarabs - Trigonopeltastes delta

Delta Flower Scarab - Trigonopeltastes delta - nymph? - Trigonopeltastes delta

Trigonopeltastes delta? - Trigonopeltastes delta

Is this a delta flower scarab? - Trigonopeltastes delta

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

Superfamily Scarabaeoidea

Family Scarabaeidae (Scarab Beetles)

Subfamily Cetoniinae (Fruit and Flower Chafers)

Tribe Trichiini

Genus Trigonopeltastes

Species delta (Delta Flower Scarab)

Other Common Names

"D Beetle"

Explanation of Names

Trigonopeltastes delta (Forster 1771)

delta refers to the Δ-shaped pattern on the pronotum

Size

8-11 mm(1)

Identification

Distinctive medium-sized beetle with yellow-orange to brown and black elytra, with striking triangular pattern on pronotum

Range

e US (NJ-FL to KS-TX)(2)

Food

Adults take pollen and/or nectar. (Possibly eat vegetative parts as well?) Food plants include Goldenrod (Solidago), Feverfew (Parthenium), Coneflower (Echinacea), and Rattlesnake Master (Eryngium yuccafolium).

Life Cycle

Mating occurs on flowers. Larvae are found in decaying wood, e.g., stumps, and have also been found in bromeliads.

T. delta was found to be one of the most common beetles in a study of flower-visiting insects in the Everglades National Park. It was found on 13 different plant species. One of the most amazing observations was of mass aggregations of Trigonopeltastes delta numbering in the thousands on the very large inflorescences of Sabal palm (Sabal palmetto).(3)

Internet References

Texas Entomology (Quinn 2011)

Works Cited

1.	Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of South Carolina Phillip J. Harpootlian. 2001. Clemson University Public Service.

2.	A distributional checklist of the beetles (Coleoptera) of Florida. Peck & Thomas. 1998. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gainesville. 180 pp.

3.	Non-apoid flower-visiting fauna of Everglades National Park, Florida. Pascarella, J.B., K.D. Waddington & P.R. Neal. 2001. Biodiversity and Conservation, 10(4): 551–566.

Contributed by Cotinis on 20 March, 2004 - 12:53am
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, v belov
Last updated 17 August, 2017 - 6:59pm

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