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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, 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

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Identification · Food · Life Cycle · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Delta Flower Scarab - Trigonopeltastes delta Scarab digging in cactus flower - Euphoria kernii Delta Flower Scarab - Trigonopeltastes delta Beetle - Trigonopeltastes delta Hairy Beetle - Euphoria sepulcralis Valgus hemipterus? - Valgus Euphoria fulgida Bumble Flower Beetle - Euphoria inda
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, 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
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
Tree of Life
U. Nebraska State Museum
Works Cited
1.The Century Dictionary: an encyclopedic lexicon of the English language
2.Scarab beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) of South Carolina
Phillip J. Harpootlian. 2001. Clemson University Public Service.
3.Peterson Field Guides: Beetles
Richard E. White. 1983. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Contributed by Phillip Harpootlian on 7 March, 2005 - 4:00pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, KenW
Last updated 7 November, 2018 - 1:48pm

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