FLOWER CHAFER

any member of the beetle subfamily Cetoniinae (family Scarabaeidae, order Coleoptera). These insects, distributed worldwide, are brilliantly coloured, with the majority of the iridescent species occurring in the tropics. Most measure less than 12 mm (0.5 inch), although a few well-known ones are longer. The pollen-feeding adults tend to be hairy and are good pollinators. Euphoria inda resembles a bumblebee and even buzzes while flying. The North American green June beetle (Cotinus nitida) is about 25 mm (1 inch) long, dull velvet green in colour, and edged in yellow and brown. It feeds on figs and other fruits, often causing great damage. Muscular pads on the back of the long white grubs are used instead of their legs for locomotion. Probably the best-known member is the African goliath beetle (Goliathus giganteus). This insect, white with bold black lines on its body and with brown wing covers (elytra), may be more than 10 cm (4 inches) long; its black, leathery wings are larger than those of a sparrow. Most flower beetles have only small protuberances on the tops of their heads and prothorax (region immediately behind the head), although some have long hornlike structures. The colour of Hetorrhina dohrni of Sumatra, one of the most beautiful insects, changes with shifts in light from black and gold-green to deep orange-red.