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Species Cotinis nitida - Green June Beetle
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)
Tribe Gymnetini
Genus Cotinis
Species nitida (Green June Beetle)
Other Common Names Fig-eater Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Cotinis nitida ( Linnaeus, 1764). Synonyms:
Cotinis nitidus (gender/spelling)
Explanation of Names Species name nitida comes from Latin root nitid, shiny, handsome (1). Identification Large, velvety green above. Sides of pronotum and elytra are yellowish-brown. Head and tibiae metallic green (3).
Color variations
Range New York to Florida and Gulf states, north to Missouri (4)Habitat Varied: near woodlands, suburban habitats with lawns. Season summer; June-September (North Carolina/South Carolina) Food Adults: Pollen; ripening fruits, especially peaches; and the fruit and leaves of many shrubs.
Larvae: roots of many plants including: grasses, alfalfa, vegetables, tobacco, and ornamental plants. Life Cycle “Eggs are spherical, grayish colored. The eggs are laid in soil that has a high organic content. The larvae usually emerge after prolonged rain. The larvae crawl on their backs over soil or through sod, and overwinter deep in soil. The larvae develop in earthen cells near the soil surface and pupate in the late spring of the 2nd year after hatching. The adults emerge in June – July. There is one generation a year” (4). Largely diurnal, but also comes to lights (3). Remarks The adults can often be seen in numbers flying just inches over turf.
The larvae are pests because they destroy the roots of valuable plants. See Also Note how the scutellum is covered by a pronotal projection in Cotinis nitida (left), but is uncovered in Euphoria fulgida (right):
Print References Borror, entry for nitid (1)
Dillon, pp. 551-552, fig. 424--shows pronotal process, plate 54, color plate B (3)
Harpootlian, p. 116, cover, fig. 230 (6)
Milne, p. 557-558, plate 208 (4)
White, pp. 147-148, plate 8 (7)Internet References
University of Maryland - in depth accounts of life history, pest status, identification.
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