Flower chafer


Flower chafers are a group of scarab beetles comprising the subfamily Cetoniinae. Many species are diurnal and visit flowers for pollen and nectar or to browse on the petals. Some species also feed on fruit. The group is also called fruit and flower chafers, flower beetles, and flower scarabs. Around 4,000 species are known, but many of them are still undescribed.
Ten tribes currently are recognized: Cetoniini, Cremastocheilini, Diplognathini, Goliathini, Gymnetini, Phaedimini, Schizorhinini, Stenotarsiini, Taenioderini, and Xiphoscelidini. The former tribes Trichiini and Valgini were elevated in rank to subfamily. The tribe Gymnetini has the most species of the American tribes, and Goliathini contains the largest species and is mainly found in the rainforest regions of Africa.

Description

Adult flower chafers are usually brightly coloured beetles, often metallic, and somewhat flattened in shape. The insertions of the antennae are visible from above, while the mandibles and labra are hidden by the clypeus. The elytra lack a narrow, membranous margin and are truncated to expose the pygidium. The abdominal spiracles are diverging so that several lie on the abdominal sternites with at least one exposed. The fore coxae are conical and produced ventrally, while the mid coxae are transverse or only slightly oblique. The mesothoracic epimera is visible from above. The tarsi are each equipped with a pair of simple tarsal claws of subequal size.
A feature possessed by adults of many flower chafers, especially the Cetoniini, is lateral emmargination of the elytra.
Larvae are stout-bodied and very hairy with short legs. The head is partly covered by the prothorax. Each antenna has its apical segment as wide as the penultimate segment. The galea and lacinia are used to form a mala. The anal cleft is transverse. The mandible has a ventral stridulating area. The labrum is symmetrical with a deeply pigmented notch on each side of the midline.

Biology

Adult cetoniines are herbivorous, being found on flowers, tree sap, and rotting fruit. Larvae generally live and feed in decaying plant matter or soil. In captivity, cetoniine larvae feed on soft fruit.
Many species in the tribe Cremastocheilini are known to be predaceous, feeding on hymenopteran larvae or soft-bodied nymphs of Auchenorrhyncha. Spilophorus species have been noted as feeding on the nesting material and excrement of South African passerine birds, while Spilophorus maculatus has been recorded feeding on Oxyrhachis tarandus nymphs and Hoplostomus fuligineus is known to feed on the brood of honey bees in South Africa and the pupae of the wasp Belonogaster petiolata. Campsiura javanica feeds on the larvae of Ropalidia montana in southern India. Cremastocheilus stathamae feeds on ants of the genus Myrmecocystus.
In terms of movement, adults are considered some of the best flyers among beetles. They can hover above and land on flowers or fruit. When threatened by predators, they escape by either performing a rush take-off or by falling toward the ground and then flying before impact. Many cetoniines fly with their elytra closed, as their hindwings can unfold and slide out under the elytra during flight.
Larvae of some taxa can crawl on their backs using their tergal folds, which are covered in strong bristles. Others crawl on their legs.

Systematics and taxonomy

The following list contains the genera and subtribes in ten tribes of subfamily Cetoniinae, according to Catalogue of Life and Scarabaeidae of the World.

[Cetoniini]

Authority: Leach, 1815
  • Subtribe Cetoniina Leach, 1815
  1. Aethiessa Burmeister, 1842
  2. Anatona Burmeister, 1842
  3. Anelaphinis Kolbe, 1892
  4. Aphelinis Antoine, 1987
  5. Atrichelaphinis Kraatz, 1898
  6. Atrichiana Distant, 1911
  7. Badizoblax Thomson, 1877
  8. Centrantyx Fairmaire, 1884
  9. Cetonia Fabricius, 1775
  10. Chewia Legrand, 2004
  11. Chiloloba Burmeister, 1842
  12. Cosmesthes Kraatz, 1880
  13. Cosmiophaena Kraatz, 1898
  14. Dischista Burmeister, 1842
  15. Dolichostethus Kolbe, 1892
  16. Elaphinis Burmeister, 1842
  17. Enoplotarsus Lucas, 1859
  18. Erlangeria Preiss, 1902
  19. Gametis Burmeister, 1842
  20. Gametoides Antoine, 2005
  21. Glycosia Schoch, 1896
  22. Glycyphana Burmeister, 1842
  23. Gymnophana Arrow, 1910
  24. Hemiprotaetia Mikšić, 1963
  25. Heterocnemis Albers, 1852
  26. Heterotephraea Antoine, 2002
  27. Lorkovitschia Mikšić, 1968
  28. Marmylida Thomson, 1880
  29. Mireia Ruter, 1953
  30. Niphobleta Kraatz, 1880
  31. Pachnoda Burmeister, 1842
  32. Pachnodoides Alexis & Delpont, 2002
  33. Pachytephraea De Palma & Malec, 2020
  34. Paleopragma Thomson, 1880
  35. Paranelaphinis Antoine, 1988
  36. Paraprotaetia Moser, 1907
  37. Pararhabdotis Kraatz, 1899
  38. Parastraella Antoine, 2005
  39. Paraxeloma Holm, 1988
  40. Parelaphinis Marais & Holm, 1989
  41. Phaneresthes Kraatz, 1894
  42. Phonotaenia Kraatz, 1880
  43. Phoxomeloides Schoch, 1898
  44. Podopholis Moser, 1915
  45. Podopogonus Moser, 1917
  46. Pogonopus Arrow, 1910
  47. Polystalactica Kraatz, 1882
  48. Protaetia Burmeister, 1842
  49. Protaetiomorpha Mikšić, 1968
  50. Pseudotephraea Kraatz, 1882
  51. Reineria Mikšić, 1968
  52. Rhabdotis Burmeister, 1842
  53. Rhabdotops Krikken, 1981
  54. Rhyxiphloea Burmeister, 1842
  55. Ruteraetia Krikken, 1980
  56. Simorrhina Kraatz, 1886
  57. Somalibia Lansberge, 1882
  58. Stalagmosoma Burmeister, 1842
  59. Systellorrhina Kraatz, 1895
  60. Tephraea Burmeister, 1842
  61. Thyreogonia Reitter, 1898
  62. Trichocephala Moser, 1916
  63. Tropinota Mulsant, 1842
  64. Walsternoplus Allsopp, Jákl & Rey, 2023
  65. Xeloma Kraatz, 1881
  • Subtribe Euphoriina Horn, 1880
  1. Chlorixanthe Bates, 1889
  2. Euphoria Burmeister, 1842
  • Subtribe Leucocelina Kraatz, 1882
  1. Acrothyrea Kraatz, 1882
  2. Alleucosma Schenkling, 1921
  3. Amaurina Kolbe, 1895
  4. Analleucosma Antoine, 1989
  5. Cyrtothyrea Kolbe, 1895
  6. Discopeltis Burmeister, 1842
  7. Grammopyga Kolbe, 1895
  8. Heteralleucosma Antoine, 1989
  9. Homothyrea Kolbe, 1895
  10. Leucocelis Burmeister, 1842
  11. Lonchothyrea Kolbe, 1895
  12. Mausoleopsis Lansberge, 1882
  13. Mecaspidiellus Antoine, 1997
  14. Molynoptera Kraatz, 1897
  15. Molynopteroides Antoine, 1989
  16. Oxythyrea Mulsant, 1842
  17. Paleira Reiche, 1871
  18. Paralleucosma Antoine, 1989
  19. Phoxomela Schaum, 1844
  20. Pseudalleucosma Antoine, 1989
  21. Pseudooxythyrea Baraud, 1985

    [Cremastocheilini]

Authority: Burmeister & Schaum, 1841
  • Subtribe Aspilina Krikken, 1984
  1. Aspilochilus Rojkoff, 2013
  2. Aspilus Westwood, 1874
  3. Protochilus Krikken, 1976
  • Subtribe Coenochilina Burmeister, 1842
  1. Arielina Rossi, 1958
  2. Astoxenus Péringuey, 1907
  3. Basilewskynia Schein, 1957
  4. Coenochilus Schaum, 1841
  • Subtribe Cremastocheilina Burmeister & Schaum, 1841
  1. Centrochilus Krikken, 1976
  2. Clinterocera Motschulsky, 1857
  3. Cremastocheilus Knoch, 1801
  4. Cyclidiellus Krikken, 1976
  5. Cyclidinus Westwood, 1874
  6. Cyclidius MacLeay, 1838
  7. Genuchinus Westwood, 1874
  8. Lissomelas Bates, 1889
  9. Paracyclidius Howden, 1971
  10. Platysodes Westwood, 1874
  11. Psilocnemis Burmeister, 1842
  • Subtribe Cymophorina Krikken, 1984
  1. Cymophorus Kirby, 1827
  2. Myrmecochilus Wasmann, 1900
  3. Rhagopteryx Burmeister, 1842
  • Subtribe Genuchina Krikken, 1984
  1. Genuchus Kirby, 1825
  2. Meurguesia Ruter, 1969
  3. Problerhinus Deyrolle, 1864
  • Subtribe Goliathopsidina Krikken, 1984
  1. Goliathopsis Janson, 1881
  • Subtribe Heterogeniina Krikken, 1984
  1. Heterogenius Moser, 1911
  2. Pseudastoxenus Bourgoin, 1921
  • Subtribe Lissogeniina Krikken, 1984
  1. Chthonobius Burmeister, 1847
  2. Lissogenius Schaum, 1844
  • Subtribe Macromina Burmeister & Schaum, 1842
  1. Brachymacroma Kraatz, 1896
  2. Campsiura Hope, 1831
  3. Macromina Westwood, 1874
  4. Pseudopilinurgus Moser, 1918
  • Subtribe Nyassinina Krikken, 1984
  1. Nyassinus Westwood, 1879
  • Subtribe Oplostomina Krikken, 1984
  1. Anatonochilus Péringuey, 1907
  2. Oplostomus MacLeay, 1838
  3. Placodidus Péringuey, 1900
  4. Scaptobius Schaum, 1841
  • Subtribe Pilinurgina Krikken, 1984
  1. Callynomes Mohnike, 1873
  2. Centrognathus Guérin-Méneville, 1840
  3. Parapilinurgus Arrow, 1910
  4. Periphanesthes Kraatz, 1880
  5. Pilinurgus Burmeister, 1842
  6. Priska Jákl, 2018
  • Subtribe Spilophorina Krikken, 1984
  1. Spilophorus Westwood, 1848
  • Subtribe Telochilina Krikken, 1984
  1. Telochilus Krikken, 1975
  • Subtribe Trichoplina Krikken, 1984
  1. Lecanoderus Kolbe, 1907
  2. Trichoplus Burmeister, 1842
  • Subtribe Trogodina Krikken, 1984
  1. Pseudoscaptobius Krikken, 1976
  2. Trogodes Boheman, 1857

    [Diplognathini]

Authority: Burmeister, 1842
  1. Anoplocheilus MacLeay, 1838
  2. Anthracophora Burmeister, 1842
  3. Anthracophorides Moser, 1918
  4. Apocnosoides Antoine, 2001
  5. Charadronota Burmeister, 1842
  6. Conradtia Kolbe, 1892
  7. Diphrontis Gerstaecker, 1882
  8. Diplognatha Gory & Percheron, 1833
  9. Eriulis Burmeister, 1842
  10. Hadrodiplognatha Kraatz, 1898
  11. Heteropseudinca Valck Lucassen, 1933
  12. Lamellothyrea Krikken, 1980
  13. Metallopseudinca Valck Lucassen, 1933
  14. Niphetophora Kraatz, 1883
  15. Nselenius
  16. Odontorrhina Burmeister, 1842
  17. Parapoecilophila Hauser, 1904
  18. Phonopleurus Moser, 1919
  19. Pilinopyga Kraatz, 1888
  20. Porphyronota Burmeister, 1842
  21. Pseudinca Kraatz, 1880
  22. Stethopseudinca Valck Lucassen, 1933
  23. Tetragonorrhina Kraatz, 1896
  24. Trichostetha Burmeister, 1842
  25. Triplognatha Krikken, 1987
  26. Trymodera Gerstaecker, 1867
  27. Uloptera Burmeister, 1842