Fact Sheet

Protaetia fusca (Herbst, 1790)


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Taxonomy

Sub family: Cetoniinae / Tribe: Cetoniini / Genus: Protaetia / Subgenus: Protaetia

Distinguishing Features

Medium sized polygonal shaped and dorsoventrally flattened beetles. Body length 12-17mm,  body colour dull matte dark grey/brown, reddish brown to black. Can also be occasionally metallic/shiny green. Speckled areas of cream/white microtrichia present. Clypeus subquadrate, occasionally slightly emarginate, densley punctured and setose. Pronotum smooth with irregular punctures, denser towards lateral margins. Elytra with 4-5 longitudonal grooves, elytral suture raised into a keel. Males with apical spines protruding from rear of elytral suture. Mesometasternum with a large, shiny smooth intercoxal process.

Detailed larval descriptions are given in Simpson (1990).

 

Biological Data

Protaetia fusca is a recognised minor pest species. While the larvae have been described as important plant detritus feeders, the adults feed on flowers, new growth and fruit of a wide range of plants. Their damage is mechanical, with beetles heavily damaging flowers to obtain pollen/nectar. They are also known to damage growing points, feeding on sap from the wounds. In Australia they have been known to cause damage to avocado, citrus, fig, peach and rose, and have been observed on young apple trees. Their host list is much more extensive and includes cassia, coconut, ginger, mango, lychee, corn and even poinciana trees.

Distribution

P. fusca has shown considerable invasive spread beyond its native range. It is distributed throughout the Oriental region, from India, China and throughout South-East Asia. It has been introduced into Hawaii, Mauritius, Japan, Fiji, the USA, and the West Indies. In Australia it is present across QLD and NSW, into NT and more recently WA.

References

Simpson, G.B. 1990. Immature stages of Protaetia fusca (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) with notes on biology. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 29: 67-73

Woodruff, R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232

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