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. There are around 4,000 species, many of them still undescribed.
Overview
By morphological characters, the adults can be separated from the other scarabs by the combination of the following characters: epipleuron easily recognizable, border lateral of elytra sinuate and antennal insertion visible from above. Six tribes are normally recognized: Stenotarsiini, Schizorhinini, Gymnetini, Goliathini, Cetoniini, and Cremastocheilini, the last four are also found in the New World. The tribe Gymnetini is the biggest of the American tribes, and Goliathini contains the largest species, and is mainly found in the rainforest regions of Africa.
Many species in the tribe Cremastocheilini are known to be predaceous, feeding on hymenopteran larvae or soft-bodied nymphs of Auchenorrhyncha. Spilophorus maculatus has been recorded feeding on Oxyrhachis sp. nymphs while Hoplostomus fuligineus is known to feed on the brood of honey bees in South Africa and the pupae of a wasp Belonogaster petiolata. Campsiura javanica feeds on the larvae of Ropalidia montana in southern India. Cremastocheilus stathamae feeds on ants of the genus Myrmecocystus.
Systematics and taxonomy
The tribes of subfamily Cetoniinae, with some notable genera also listed, are:
Tribus Cetoniini Subtribus Cetoniina Leach, 1815
- Aethiessa Burmeister, 1842
- Cetonia Fabricius, 1775
- Chlorixanthe Bates, 1889
- Euphoria Burmeister, 1842
- Heterocnemis Albers, 1852
- Ischnoscelis Burmeister, 1842
- Protaetia Burmeister, 1842
- Pseudourbania MikÅ¡iÄ, 1965
- Tropinota Mulsant, 1842
- Urbania MikÅ¡iÄ, 1963
- Xeloma Burmeister, 1842
Subtribus Leucocelina
- Cyrtothyrea Kolbe, 1895
- Homothyrea Kolbe, 1895
- Leucocelis Burmeister, 1842
- Oxythyrea Mulsant, 1842
- Paleira Reiche, 1871
- Agestrata Eschscholtz, 1829
- Anthracophora Burmeister, 1842
- Dischista Burmeister, 1842
- Gametis Burmeister, 1842
- Glycyphana Burmeister, 1842
- Ichnestoma Gory & Percheron
- Pachnoda Burmeister, 1842
- Polybaphes Kirby, 1827
- Stalagmosoma Burmeister, 1842
Subtribus Cremastocheilini Burmeister & Schaum, 1841
- Centrochilus Krikken, 1976
- Cremastocheilus Knoch, 1801
- Genuchinus Westwood, 1874
- Lissomelas Bates, 1889
- Psilocnemis Burmeister, 1842
- Campsiura Hope, 1831
Tribus Goliathini
- Amaurodes Westwood, 1844
- Aphanochroa Kolbe, 1893
- Aphelorrhina Westwood, 1841
- Argyropheges Kraatz, 1895
- Asthenorella Westwood, 1874
- Asthenorrhina Westwood, 1843
- Brachymitra Kolbe, 1904
- Ceratorrhina Westwood, 1843
- Cheirolasia Westwood
- Chelorrhina Burmeister, 1842
- Chondrorrhina Kraatz, 1880
- Chordodera Burmeister, 1842
- Coelorrhina Burmeister, 1842
- Compsocephalus White, 1845
- Cyprolais Burmeister, 1842
- Daedycorrhina Bates, 1888
- Dicellachilus Waterhouse, 1905
- Dicronocephalus Hope, 1837
- Dicronorrhina Hope, 1837
- Dyspilophora Kraatz, 1880
- Eudicella White, 1839
- Eutelesmus Waterhouse, 1880
- Fornasinius Berteloni, 1853
- Genyodonta Burmeister, 1842
- Gnorimimelus Kaatz, 1880
- Goliathus Lamarck, 1801
- Hegemus J. Thomson, 1881
- Inhambane Péringuey, 1907
- Mecynorhina Hope, 1837
- Megalorhina Westwood, 1847
- Melinesthes Kraatz, 1880
- Neptunides J. Thomson, 1879
- Pedinorrhina Kraatz, 1880
- Plaesiorrhina Burmeister, 1842
- Priscorrhina Krikken, 1984
- Ptychodesthes Kraatz, 1883
- Raceloma J. Thomson, 1877
- Ranzania Berteloni, 1855
- Scythropesthes Kraatz, 1880
- Smaragdesthes Kraatz, 1880
- Smicorhina Westwood, 1847
- Spelaiorrhina Lansberge, 1886
- Stephanocrates Kolbe, 1892
- Stephanorrhina Burmeister, 1842
- Taeniesthes Kraatz, 1880
- Taurhina Burmeister, 1842
Tribus Gymnetini
- Amithao
- Argyripa
- Balsameda
- Chiriquibia
- Clinteria Burmeister, 1842
- Cotinis Burmeister, 1842
- Guatemalica
- Gymnetina Casey, 1915
- Gymnetis MacLeay, 1819
- Gymnetosoma MartÃnez, 1949
- Hadrosticta
- Halffterinetis Morón and Nogueira, 2007
- Hologymnetis MartÃnez, 1949
- Hoplopyga
- Marmarina
- Neocorvicoana Ratcliffe & Micó
Tribus Heterorrhinini
- Heterorrhina
- Pseudotorynorrhina
- Rhomborrhina
Tribus Schizorhinini
- Aphanesthes Kraatz, 1880
- Bisallardiana Antoine, 2003
- Chalcopharis Heller, 1901
- Chlorobapta Kraatz, 1880
- Chondropyga Kraatz, 1880
- Clithria Burmeister, 1842
- Diaphonia Newman, 1840
- Dichrosoma Kraatz, 1885
- Dilochrosis Thomson, 1878
- Eupoecila Burmeister, 1842
- Hemichnoodes Kraatz, 1880
- Hemipharis Burmeister, 1842
- Ischiopsopha Gestro, 1874
- Lenosoma Kraatz, 1880
- Lomaptera Gory & Percheron, 1833
- Lyraphora Kraatz, 1880
- Macrotina Strand, 1934
- Metallesthes Kraatz, 1880
- Micropoecila Kraatz, 1880
- Mycterophallus Van de Poll, 1886
- Neoclithria Van de Poll, 1886
- Neorrhina J. Thomson, 1878
- Phyllopodium Schoch, 1895
- Poecilopharis Kraatz, 1880
- Pseudoclithria Van de Poll, 1886
- Schizorhina Kirby, 1825
- Schochidia Berg, 1898
- Stenopisthes Moser, 1913
- Tapinoschema Thomson, 1880
- Trichaulax Kraatz, 1880
Tribus Trichiini Fleming, 1821
- Osmoderma Lepeletier & Serville, 1825
- Agnorimus Miyake et alii, 1991
- Apeltastes Howden, 1968
- Gnorimella Casey, 1915
- Gnorimus Lepeletier & Serville, 1825
- Trichiotinus Casey, 1915
- Trichius Fabricius, 1787
- Trigonopeltastes Burmeister, 1840
Tribus Valgini Mulsant, 1842
- Chromovalgus Kolbe, 1897
- Microvalgus Kraatz, 1883
- Valgus L.G.Scriba, 1790
Other
- Anelaphinis Kolbe, 1912
- Caelorrhina
- Coilodera
- Conradtia
- Costinota
- Epitrichius Tagawa, 1941
- Euchroea
- Gnathocera
- Heteroclita Burmeister, 1842
- Ischnostomiella Krikken, 1978
- Lansbergia Ritsema 1888
- Protoclita Krikken, 1978
- Pygora
- Rhabdotis
References
- Bartlett, Troy, et al. BugGuide
- Evans, Arthur W. Generic Guide to New World Scarabs
- Orozco, Jesus. American Cetoniinae
- Sakai, K. & S. Nagai, 1998. The cetoniine Beetles of the World. Tokyo: Mushi-Sha. 421p Excellent illustrations of most species.
- White, Richard E. (1998). Beetles : A Field Guide to the Beetles of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-91089-7.
External links
- The Cetoniid (Flower) Beetles of the World Extra detailed specimen photobook 2009
- Gallery of flower beetles
- Illustrated key to South Asian chafers
- Punctate Flower Chafer Factfile
- WZCZ Gallery
- Kaferlatein African Cetoniinae website. Literature page.
- flickr tagged images.
- Flower beetles of Israel by Oz Rittner
