Trichostetha fascicularis

Trichostetha fascicularis is a large, metallic-green beetle found in South Africa.

Trichostetha fascicularis
Scientific classification
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T. fascicularis
Binomial name
Trichostetha fascicularis
(Donovan, 1805)

Description edit

The Protea Beetle is about 25mm long. It has metallic-green wing cases with a black head and thorax which has two white vertical stripes. It has orange hairs growing around the bottom of its body.[1]

Habitat edit

It is found in South Africa wherever proteas occur. Adults feed on the pollen and nectar. They live in fynbos, mountainous habitats, and residential gardens if its food supply is available.

Subspecies edit

T. fascicularis has four subspecies:[a]

  • Trichostetha fascicularis maraisi Stobbia, 1995[3]
  • Trichostetha fascicularis natalis Burmeister, 1842[2]
  • Trichostetha fascicularis nigripennis Allard, 1992[3]
  • Trichostetha fascicularis prunipennis Burmeister, 1842[2]

References edit

  1. ^ T. fascicularis natalis and T. fascicularis prunipennis were reinstated as valid subspecies per Holm & Perissinotto, 2011.[2] Older sources may still list these as invalid.
  1. ^ "Trichostetha fascicularis (Protea Beetle)". www.biodiversityexplorer.org. Archived from the original on 2008-09-28.
  2. ^ a b c Holm, E.; Perissinotto, R. (March 2011). "New Descriptions and Revisions of Southern African Cetoniinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). I". African Entomology. 19 (1). Entomological Society of Southern Africa: 88–95. doi:10.4001/003.019.0107. ISSN 1021-3589. S2CID 84780437. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  3. ^ a b Meyers, P.; Espinosa, R.; Parr, C.S.; Jones, T.; Hammond, G.S.; Dewey, T.A. (2014). "Trichostetha classification". The Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Retrieved 11 August 2014.