Unkown Eastern Scarab (Cetoniinae?) - Osmoderma eremicola - BugGuide.Net

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Photo#9395

Copyright © 2004 Robyn Judith Waayers

Unkown Eastern Scarab (Cetoniinae?) - Osmoderma eremicola

Providence Forge, New Kent County, Virginia, USA
May 31, 2004

This beetle came to a bright street light at a B and B we stayed at. I am guessing it is in the subfamily Cetoniinae, but otherwise I have never seen it in any book or on-line. It is 2.5 cm long and has a very shiny, metallic black appearance. It looks like it is carved out of hematite! Is it common in the East? Genus, species??

Contributed by Robyn Judith Waayers on 31 December, 2004 - 3:38pm
Last updated 29 September, 2007 - 8:20pm

Osmoderma likely

Neato. Osmoderma eremicola or a close relative looks good, see Insects of Cedar Creek and Insects of Quebec, latter gives length as 27 mm. Common name "Hermit Flower Beetle" is used sometimes. I see reference to an O. scabra as well. Insects of Quebec gives length as 22 mm. Looks like the elytra of the two have a different pattern, bumpy and punctured in O. scabra, rather smooth in O. eremicola. I can't quite tell from photos on the web--yours is better than those at Insects of Cedar Creek or Insects of Quebec. Troy or Eric Eaton can probably clarify. (I'm pretty sure I'm in the right genus, but I've no experience with this critter.)

Neat find.

Patrick Coin
Durham, North Carolina

… Cotinis, 31 December, 2004 - 6:24pm

Osmoderma eremicola

Sure, thats it - only the two spp. in the eastern US. This is common throughtout the NE and midwest gradually displaced by Dynastes tityus along the coast and in the south - shares the same habitat. In SC, its pretty much limited to the mountains (1).

Phil Harpootlian
Simpsonville SC

… Phillip Harpootlian, 18 January, 2005 - 8:39am

Beetle ID

Thanks! That helps tremendously.

… Robyn Judith Waayers, 31 December, 2004 - 8:41pm

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