Oplostomus fuligineus (Olivier, 1789)

Sub family: Cetoniinae / Tribe: Chremastocheilini / Genus: Oplostomus

Large, broad beetles, body length: 20-23mm length, body colour: black, shiny. Antennal segments red/orange. Antennae 10-segmented, with a 3-segmented club. Clypeus with a rounded/subquadrate apex with rounded corners, and a raised longitudinal ridge medially. Mentum large, vertically produced to cover mouthparts and palpal insertions. Pronotum smooth with an even covering of shallow punctations. Mesepimeron partially visible anterior to elytral shoulders. Scutellum large, triangular, pointed at apex. Elytra with raised areas on apical half, flanked by depressions of a broad punctated/striae area. Metasternum projecting between bases of mesocoxae, seamlessly continuing through to mesosternum, but without a forward protruding process. Femurs striate patterned, somewhat flattened.  

The genus Oplostomus has 10 described species. There are no other representatives of Cremastocheilini in Australia.

A similar beehive pest species O. haroldi, is included in this key. They can be separated through O. haroldi having a potential variation in body colour- from all black similar to O. fuligineus, to black with broad reddish brown to orange stripes along the pronotum and elytra. O. haroldi also has striking bright orange setae ventrally and on the mesepimeron. The clypeus has a longitudonal ridge and more rounded edges on O. fuligineus , compared to no longitudonal ridge and angled/sharper edges on O. haroldi.

Oplostomus fuligineus, also known as the Large Hive Beetle or Large African Hive Beetle (LAHB), is a recognised pest of honeybee (Apis mellifera) hives. Adult beetles  invade colonies to feed on young bee brood, stored pollen and honey. Severe infestations of hundreds of beetles per hive have been recorded. Their feeding can potentially lead to the death of the colony. Adult beetles can live for multiple months under laboratory conditions.

Larvae live in the soil and feed on animal (cattle or horse) dung and compost.

Any potential sightings of Oplostomus in Australia should be immediately reported to your local department of Agriculture.

Oplostomus are African in orgin, and absent from Australia. O. fuligineus are known from the African countries of Zambia, Namibia, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Nigeria and South Africa, but is thought to be widespread across all of sub-Saharan Africa.

PaDIL image set: http://www.padil.gov.au/pests-and-diseases/pest/main/135699

BeeAware information page: http://beeaware.org.au/archive-pest/large-hive-beetle/#ad-image-2

RIRDC Project Summary:    https://www.agrifutures.com.au/wp-content/uploads/publications/16-054.pdf

Oldroyd, B.P., Allsopp, M.H. 2017. Risk assessment for large African hive beetles (Oplostomus spp.)—A review. Apidologie. doi: 10.1007/s13592-017-0493-7

Wambua, B., Muli, E., Kilonzo, J., Ng’ang’a, J., Kanui, T., Muli, B. 2019. Large Hive Beetles: An Emerging Serious Honey Bee Pest in the Coastal Highlands of Kenya, Bee World, 96(3): 1-2 DOI: 10.1080/0005772X.2019.1568355