Glycyphana stolata (Fabricius, 1781)

Sub family: Cetoniinae / Tribe: Cetoniini / Genus: Glycyphana / Subgenus: Glycyphaniola

Medium sized polygonal shaped and dorsoventrally flattened beetles. Body length 8-11mm, body colour: brown to green with a dull/matte sheen. Microtrichia (scale) patches are present on pronotum (lateral margins and spots on disc), elytra, and pygidium. Clypeus with apex emarginate and entirely setose. Pronotum with strong, sparse, c-shaped punctures. Elytra evenly covered in mostly c-shaped punctures. Apical half of elytral suture raised into a keel, with apical spines present. Mesometasternal process developed.

The reduced tooth at the mid point of the hind tibia is a species distinguishing feature.

There are around 108 known species of Glycyphana spread across six subgenera. Australia has two representatives of Caloclycyphana, and eight within Glycyphaniola. A key to the Australian species was provided by Bacchus (1974).

Protaetia is the only other representative of Cetoniini present in Australia.

Glycyphana stolata can be separated from Protaetia fusca by its general smaller size (8-11mm compared to 12-15mm), differing patterns of dorsal scale patches, the presence of c-chaped punctations on the pronotum and elytra, a less pronounced sinuation of the pronotal posterior margin around the scutellum (a key feature to separate betwen the two genera), lack of elytral longitudonal grooves, and the presence of a setae bearing lateral groove across the mesometasternal process.

It can be readily separated from the exotic Tropinota hirta presented in the key here which has a grey black body colouration, a median longitudonal carina on its pronotum, and densely covered all over in white/yellow setae.

Adult beetles have been collected on flowers from a number of native Australian plants from numerous families including Myrtaceae, Proteaceae and Fabaceae. They are also known from ornamentals such as roses, so a wider host range would not be out of character. 

Their life history information is currently unknown.

Glycyphana stolata is native to Australia and common across Eastern Australia, ranging from NSW to far north QLD. It has been collected in SA, and introduced into WA where it is now widespread across the South West of the state.

The genus has a wider distribution across the Oriental region stretching from India to Japan, down towards Australia, across Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea, and into the Pacific Islands of Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

 Flower Chafers of NSW Fact Sheet:  https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/aus_museum/flower_chafers/key/Cetoniinae/Media/Html/gstolata.htm

Further exotic species images can be found at BioLib: https://www.biolib.cz/en/taxon/id663273/

Bacchus, M.E. 1974. A revision of the Australian species of the genus Glycyphana Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 13: 111-128