Flower chafer

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 labrum are hidden by the clypeus. The elytra lack a narrow membranous margin and are truncate 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 (not forked) tarsal claws of subequal size.[3][4]

A feature possessed by adults of many flower chafers, especially Cetoniini, is lateral emargination of the elytra.[5]

Larvae are stout-bodied and very hairy with short legs. The head is partly covered by the prothorax. Each antenna has the 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.[3]

Adult cetoniines are herbivorous, being found on flowers (from which they consume nectar and pollen), tree sap and rotting fruit. Larvae generally live and feed in decaying plant matter (including decaying wood) or soil. In captivity, cetoniine larvae will feed on soft fruit.[3][4]

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,[6] while Spilophorus maculatus has been recorded feeding on Oxyrhachis sp. nymphs[7] 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.[8] Cremastocheilus stathamae feeds on ants of the genus Myrmecocystus.[9]

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 (thanks to the emargination of the elytra).[5]

Larvae of some taxa can crawl on their backs using their tergal folds, which are covered in strong bristles. Others crawl on their legs.[3][5]

The following list contains the genera, subtribes, and tribes of subfamily Cetoniinae, according to Catalogue of Life and Scarabaeidae of the World (2023).[1]

Subfamily Cetoniinae Leach, 1815

Mecynorhina ugandensis

Protaetia cuprea ignicollis

Gnorimella maculosa

Ischnoscelis hoepfneri

Gymnetis stellata

Tribe Cetoniini Leach, 1815

• Subtribe Cetoniina Leach, 1815

• Subtribe Euphoriina Horn, 1880

Chlorixanthe Bates, 1889

Euphoria Burmeister, 1842

• Subtribe Leucocelina Kraatz, 1882

Tribe Cremastocheilini Burmeister & Schaum, 1841

• Subtribe Aspilina Krikken, 1984

Aspilochilus Rojkoff, 2013

Aspilus Westwood, 1874

Protochilus Krikken, 1976

• Subtribe Coenochilina Burmeister, 1842

Arielina Rossi, 1958

Astoxenus Péringuey, 1907

Basilewskynia Schein, 1957

Coenochilus Schaum, 1841

• Subtribe Cremastocheilina Burmeister & Schaum, 1841

• Subtribe Cymophorina Krikken, 1984

Cymophorus Kirby, 1827

Myrmecochilus Wasmann, 1900

Rhagopteryx Burmeister, 1842

• Subtribe Genuchina Krikken, 1984

Genuchus Kirby, 1825

Meurguesia Ruter, 1969

Problerhinus Deyrolle, 1864

• Subtribe Goliathopsidina Krikken, 1984

Goliathopsis Janson, 1881

• Subtribe Heterogeniina Krikken, 1984

Heterogenius Moser, 1911

Pseudastoxenus Bourgoin, 1921

• Subtribe Lissogeniina Krikken, 1984

Chthonobius Burmeister, 1847

Lissogenius Schaum, 1844

• Subtribe Macromina Burmeister & Schaum, 1842

Brachymacroma Kraatz, 1896

Campsiura Hope, 1831

Macromina Westwood, 1874

Pseudopilinurgus Moser, 1918

• Subtribe Nyassinina Krikken, 1984

Nyassinus Westwood, 1879

• Subtribe Oplostomina Krikken, 1984

Anatonochilus Péringuey, 1907

Oplostomus MacLeay, 1838

Placodidus Péringuey, 1900

Scaptobius Schaum, 1841

• Subtribe Pilinurgina Krikken, 1984

Callynomes Mohnike, 1873

Centrognathus Guérin-Méneville, 1840

Parapilinurgus Arrow, 1910

Periphanesthes Kraatz, 1880

Pilinurgus Burmeister, 1842

Priska Jákl, 2018

• Subtribe Spilophorina Krikken, 1984

Spilophorus Westwood, 1848

• Subtribe Telochilina Krikken, 1984

Telochilus Krikken, 1975

• Subtribe Trichoplina Krikken, 1984

Lecanoderus Kolbe, 1907

Trichoplus Burmeister, 1842

• Subtribe Trogodina Krikken, 1984

Pseudoscaptobius Krikken, 1976

Trogodes Boheman, 1857

Tribe Diplognathini Burmeister, 1842

Tribe Goliathini Latreille, 1829

• Subtribe Dicronocephalina Krikken, 1984

Dicronocephalus Hope, 1831

• Subtribe Goliathina Latreille, 1829

Fornasinius Bertoloni, 1852

Goliathus Lamarck, 1801

Hegemus Thomson, 1881

Hypselogenia Burmeister, 1840

• Subtribe Ichnestomina Burmeister, 1842

Gariep Péringuey, 1907

Ichnestoma Gory & Percheron, 1833

Karooida Perissinotto, 2020

Mzansica Perissinotto, 2020

• Subtribe Rhomborhinina Westwood, 1842

Tribe Gymnetini Kirby, 1827

• Subtribe Blaesiina Schoch, 1895

Blaesia Burmeister, 1842

Halffterinetis Morón & Nogueira, 2007

• Subtribe Gymnetina Kirby, 1827

Tribe Phaedimini Schoch, 1894

Hemiphaedimus Mikšić, 1972

Phaedimus Waterhouse, 1841

Philistina MacLeay, 1838

Theodosia Thomson, 1880

Tribe Schizorhinini Burmeister, 1842

• Subtribe Lomapterina Burmeister, 1842

Agestrata Eschscholtz, 1829

Ischiopsopha Gestro, 1874

Lomaptera Gory & Percheron, 1833

Macronota Hoffmannsegg, 1817

Megaphonia Schürhoff, 1933

Morokia Janson, 1905

Mycterophallus Neervoort Van De Poll, 1886

• Subtribe Schizorhinina Burmeister, 1842

Tribe Stenotarsiini Kraatz, 1880

• Subtribe Anochiliina Krikken, 1984

Anochilia Burmeister, 1842

Epistalagma Fairmaire, 1880

• Subtribe Chromoptiliina Krikken, 1984

Chromoptilia Westwood, 1842

Descarpentriesia Ruter, 1964

• Subtribe Coptomiina Schenkling, 1921

• Subtribe Doryscelina Schenkling, 1921

Doryscelis Burmeister, 1842

Epixanthis Burmeister, 1842

Hemiaspidius Krikken, 1982

Pararhynchocephala Paulian, 1991

Parepixanthis Kraatz, 1893

Pseudepixanthis Kraatz, 1880

Rhynchocephala Fairmaire, 1883

• Subtribe Euchroeina Paulian & Descarpentries, 1982

Euchroea Burmeister, 1842

• Subtribe Heterophanina Schoch, 1894

Heterophana Burmeister, 1842

Oxypelta Pouillaude, 1920

Pogoniotarsus Kraatz, 1880

Pogonotarsus Burmeister, 1842

Zebinus Fairmaire, 1894

• Subtribe Heterosomatina Krikken, 1984

Heterosoma Schaum, 1844

Plochilia Fairmaire, 1896

• Subtribe Pantoliina Krikken, 1984

• Subtribe Parachiliina Krikken, 1984

Parachilia Burmeister, 1842

• Subtribe Stenotarsiina Kraatz, 1880

Callipechis Burmeister, 1842

Ischnotarsia Kraatz, 1880

Rhadinotaenia Kraatz, 1900

Stenotarsia Burmeister, 1842

Vadonidella Ruter, 1973

Tribe Taenioderini Mikšić, 1976

• Subtribe Chalcotheina Mikšić, 1976

• Subtribe Taenioderina Mikšić, 1976

Tribe Xiphoscelidini Krikken, 1984

• 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.

Wikispecies has information related to Cetoniinae.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cetoniinae.

• 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