Eudicella euthalia
| Eudicella euthalia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eudicella euthalia, male and female. Mounted specimen at the National Museum (Prague) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Subfamily: | Cetoniinae |
| Genus: | Eudicella |
| Species: | E. euthalia |
| Binomial name | |
| Eudicella euthalia (Bates, 1881) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Eudicella euthalia is an insect of the scarab beetle family, in the subfamily known as flower beetles.
Description
Eudicella euthalia reaches about 35–45 millimetres (1.4–1.8 in) of length in the males, while the females are slightly smaller, reaching about 30–35 millimetres (1.2–1.4 in) of length. Head and pronotum are usually green and the legs are brown, while the elytra are usually pale brown or yellowish, with four dark spots on the edges. The male has a "Y"-shaped, flat horn in the forehead, used in fighting over females and in defense of territory. Females lay eggs into the substrate, eggs that need about ten days to hatch. The development of larvae takes about five months and the cocoon stage last about two months. Adult beetles feed on the nectar and pollen of flowers and on overripe fruits.
Distribution
This species can be found in from tropical East Africa, mainly in Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
Subspecies
- Eudicella euthalia bertherandi Fairmaire, 1891
- Eudicella euthalia euthalia (Bates, 1881)
- Eudicella euthalia oweni
- Eudicella euthalia resseleri