Cetoniinae Leach, 1815

Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae
African goliath beetle (Goliathus giganteus) Euphoria inda 

One of the largest insects on Earth, measuring It resembles a bumblebee and

from 60–110 mm for males and 50–80 mm for even buzzes while flying and
females, as adults, and can reach weights of up to are good pollinators.
80–100 grams in the larval stage, though the
adults are only about half this weight.
 Cotinis nitida Hetorrhina dohrni

Larvae crawl on their backs using One of the most beautiful insects,
muscular pads on the back instead of changes with shifts in light from black and
their legs for locomotion. gold-green to deep orange-red.
 INTRODUCTION

 Flower chafers are a group of scarab beetles, comprising the

subfamily Cetoniinae.
 The group is also called fruit and flower chafers, flower
beetles and flower scarabs.
 Around 4000 species are known worldwide (sensu Krikken
1984; Krajcik 1999) and consist of 12 tribes.
 Biology

Eggs
Adults deposit the eggs about an inch below the surface of the
manure heaps, in accumulations of vegetable matter and in soil rich
in humus.

Larva
The larvae are predominantly saprophagous or
saproxylophagous, and are frequently found in the soil, rotten wood,
tree cavities,
Pupa
Larva construct pupal cells in the soil. After a pupal period of 25-28
days the adults will emerge out.

Adult
Adults are medium to large-sized (0.5–15.0 cm) beetles with a
variable bright coloration and a typically diurnal habit.
 Pollens

General
Figs
ida
Cre
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st och otin
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Nymphs of n i
Auchenorrhyncha

Feeding Hoplostomus fuligineus

h
p us
s
o ru   Habit Ca
ilo
Sp culat m
ps Honey
ma iu
ra
jav Brood

Cremastocheilus
stathamae
an
i ca

Oxyrhachis sp.
nymphs.
Larvae of 
Ropalidia
 Myrmecocystus montana
 COLLECTION?

Most can be found on ripe fruits and

flowers, being many species relatively
easy to collect using traps baited with
fermented fruit.

Fermenting banana trap made

from a plastic soda bottle
 Oxycetonia versicolor

Protaetia alboguttata

Protaetia aurichalcea

Protaetia fusca Heterorhina elegans

Clinteria klugii

P. cinerea
Miksicus acuminata
 Taxonomic

Characteristics

 Mandibles weakly developed, hidden by clypeus.

 Labrum membranous in most, hidden.

 Antenna 10-segmented, club with 3 segments (these sometimes

elongated); antennal insertion visible from above on side of clypeus.

 Eye canthus long, narrow.

 Pygidium exposed.

 Propygidium rigidly connected to fifth visible sternite.

 Taxonomic

Characteristics

 Elytron with distinct post-humeral emargination (Gymnetini,

Cetoniini, Cremastocheilini) that reveals the mesepimeron at the base of

elytron or lacking post-humeral emargination (Trichiini and Valgini).

 Procoxae protruding conically downward.

 Tarsal claws simple and subequal in size.

 Economic Importance

Record of pollination of Lomatia silaifolia (Proteaceae) by the cetonid

beetle Bisallardiana gymnopleura (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
Dr. Trevor J. Hawkeswood & J.R. Turner

The beetles were feeding on nectar from the hypogynous ovary at

the top of the flowers and at the same time were able to attach
pollen onto their bodies, viz. head, antennae and thoracic areas.
One beetle was wedged tightly in a flower and the pollen presenter
was rubbing against the elytra which also carried pollen.
Cetoniid beetles as pests on brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) in Andhra Pradesh.
Veeresh, G. K.; Reddy, N. V.; Rajanna, C. ; Current Research , 1980.

In a survey on egg-plant (brinjal) in Andhra Pradesh, India, the cetoniines Protaetia alboguttata
(Vigors), P. cinerea (Kraatz), Heterorhina elegans (F.), Oxycetonia versicolor (F.), Clinteria
klugii (Hope) and 2 species of Cetonia were found feeding on the plant at Sundupalli, Cuddapah
District, in September 1979. The beetles fed on the tender shoots, flowers and flower buds in the
early morning. There were up to 15 beetles on a plant, and 40% of plants were infested, with 60-
80% of young shoots damaged.
Incidence of cetonid beetles, Protaetia alboguttata (Vigors)
on karonda, Carissa carandas
P. D. Kamala Jayanthi, Vivek Kempraj and B.N.S. Murthy

Severe infestation of cetonid beetles, Protaetia alboguttata

(Vigors) has been noticed on karonda at the experimental
station of Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru
during the year 2013. The mean damage on the ripe fruits was
found to be 22.40+2.50% with a range of 15.00 – 30.00%.
Considering the polyphagy of cetoniids, these beetles can pose
direct threat to the cultivation of karonda.
Incidence and distribution behaviour of flower eating
beetles on maize Zea mays L.
Sekhar, J. C.; Sharma, R. K.; Singh, N. N.

Four different species of beetles belonging to the subfamily

Cetoninae (Chiloloba acuta; Oxycetonia versicolor, Protaetia
alboquattata Vig. and an undetermined species) were found
infesting maize tassels during kharif 1996-98 in observations
at a site in Hyderabad, India, of which C. acuta and O.
versicolor were found to be dominant.
 Plums

Apricots Peaches

Grapes Rose petals

 Management

 Covering the trees with mosquito or other netting is a

good plan with valuable trees.
 Hand collection is one of the most efficient remedial
measures, and is best done by jarring the beetles into a
net on the end of a pole.
 Adults can also be collected using traps baited with
fermented fruit.
 As the beetles always attack the ripest fruit, a good
deal of injury can be avoided by picking it while it is
slightly green.