Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Beetles (Coleoptera) » Polyphaga » Scarabaeoidea » Scarab Beetles (Scarabaeidae) » Fruit and Flower Chafers (Cetoniinae)

Subfamily Cetoniinae - Fruit and Flower Chafers

Beetle - Delta Flower Scarab - Left Lateral - Trigonopeltastes delta

western green june beetle - Cotinis mutabilis

Hairy Flower Scarab - Trichiotinus affinis

Scarabaeidae: Osmoderma subplanata? - Osmoderma subplanata

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)

Other Common Names

Flower Beetles

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Cetoniidae (1)

Explanation of Names

Cetoniinae Leach 1815

based on Old World genus Cetonia (origin of name is obscure)

Numbers

55 spp. in 13 genera in our area(2), ~3,000 spp. in ~400 genera total

Identification

Characteristics(3)(4):

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), subequal in size

Range

mostly tropical; in our area, widespread(3), 17 spp. reach Canada(5)

Habitat

adults on flowers, tree sap, rotting fruit; some are myrmecophilous

Food

Larvae feed on roots, organic material in soil, or decaying wood

Life Cycle

1. Larvae. 2. Pupa. 3. Adult (Valgus seticollis)

Print References

MacLeay, W.S. (1819). Horae entomologicae: or essays on the annulose animals. S.Bagster. London 1(1): 1-160.

Works Cited

1.	Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

2.	The Scarabaeoid Beetles of Nebraska Brett C. Ratcliffe & M.J. Paulsen. 2008. University of Nebraska State Museum, Vol 22, 570 pp.

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

4.	Peterson Field Guides: Beetles Richard E. White. 1983. Houghton Mifflin Company.

5.	Checklist of beetles (Coleoptera) of Canada and Alaska. Second edition Bousquet Y., Bouchard P., Davies A.E., Sikes D.S. 2013. ZooKeys 360: 1–402.

Contributed by Phillip Harpootlian on 7 March, 2005 - 4:00pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, v belov, KenW
Last updated 24 March, 2022 - 7:58pm

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