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. 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. Twelve tribes are presently recognized: Cetoniini, Cremastocheilini, Diplognathini, Goliathini, Gymnetini, Phaedimini, Schizorhinini, Stenotarsiini, Taenioderini, Trichiini, Valgini, and Xiphoscelidini. 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.

Biology

Many species in the tribe Cremastocheilini are known to be predaceous, feeding on hymenopteran larvae or soft-bodied nymphs of Auchenorrhyncha. Spilophorus spp. have been noted feeding on the nesting material and excrement of South African passerine birds, while Spilophorus maculatus has been recorded feeding on Oxyrhachis sp. 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.

Systematics and taxonomy

The tribes of subfamily Cetoniinae, with some notable genera also listed, are:

Tribus [Cetoniini]

Subtribus Cetoniina
Subtribus Euphoriina
Subtribus Leucocelina
Incertae sedis
Subtribus Aspilina
Subtribus Coenochilina
Subtribus Cremastocheilina
Subtribus Cymophorina
Subtribus Genuchina
Subtribus Goliathopsidina
Subtribus Heterogeniina
Subtribus Lissogeniina
Subtribus Macromina
Subtribus Nyassinina
Subtribus Oplostomatina
Subtribus Pilinurgina
Subtribus Spilophorina
Subtribus Telochilina
Subtribus Trichoplina
Subtribus Trogodina
Subtribus Coryphocerina
Subtribus Dicronocephalina
Subtribus Goliathina
Subtribus Ichnestomatina
Unplaced to Subtribe
Subtribus Blaesiina
Subtribus Gymnetina
Subtribus Lomapterina
Subtribus Schizorhinina
Subtribus Anochiliina
Subtribus Chromoptiliina
Subtribus Coptomiina
Subtribus Doryscelina
Subtribus Euchroeina
Subtribus Heterophanina
Subtribus Heterosomatina
Subtribus Pantoliina
Subtribus Parachilina
Subtribus Stenotarsiina
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Tribus [Trichiini]

Subtribus Cryptodontina
Subtribus Incaina
Subtribus Osmodermatina
Subtribus Platygeniina
Subtribus Trichiina
Subtribe Microvalgina
Subtribe Valgina