Pachnoda marginata

Pachnoda marginata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Scarabaeidae
Subfamily:	Cetoniinae
Genus:	Pachnoda
Species:	P. marginata
Binomial name
Pachnoda marginata
Subspecies
See text

Pachnoda marginata is a beetle from the subfamily Cetoniinae with a large number of subspecies that lives in west and central Africa. They are sometimes used as food for terrarium animals. The adult beetles are 20–30 mm, the larvae are very small when they hatch, but can grow as long as 60 mm. (2.36 in.)

Description

The sun beetle comes in nine subspecies, the three common ones are: Pachnoda marginata aurantia, Pachnoda marginata marginata, Pachnoda marginata peregrina, with ranging colors. Pachnoda marginata aurantia comes from orange to a yellow-orange, some having a hue gradient towards the middle seen in diagram below. Pachnoda marginata marginata normally is red or crimson with little change between individuals. Pachnoda marginata peregrina, the more common amongst the subspecies, is a pale yellow or orange with brown spots; one spot being on the thorax and two spots on each elytra on each wing.

Sometimes the spots on the elytra are almost unnoticeable, as they seem to blend in with the rest of the body, this can be seen in the picture on the bottom left of Pachnoda marginata peregrina in the terrarium under "As pets".

The larvae of the pachnoda can sometimes make a low snore-like noise when making their cocoons.

List of the described subspecies

Pachnoda marginata aurantia (Herbst, 1790) Pachnoda marginata cerandi Rigout, 1984 Pachnoda marginata fernandezi Rigout, 1984 Pachnoda marginata marginata (Drury, 1773) Pachnoda marginata mirei Ruter, 1963 Pachnoda marginata murielae Rigout, 1987 Pachnoda marginata perigrina Kolbe, 1906 Pachnoda marginata rougeoti Rigout, 1992 Pachnoda marginata tunisiensis Rigout, 1984

Gallery

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  Pachnoda marginata peregrina

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  Pachnoda marginata marginata

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  Pachnoda marginata aurantia

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  Pachnoda marginata aurantia from Guinea-Bissau. Male and female. Mounted specimen

Life cycle

After mating, the female lays an egg in moist ground, which hatches after a short time into a larva that feeds voraciously for 2 to 5 months. When the larva has matured, it pupates for several weeks, and then transforms into an adult beetle. It will live as an adult for several months. Not all larvae survive pupation, many die before molting into pupa form.

As pets

Pachnoda marginata is an easy beetle to keep, requiring a terrarium with a lid (as it can fly out), a layer of moist ground, something to climb on, a warming lamp and food like bananas, apples and other fruits. The larva also eat leaves and other plant waste. It is important to not mix coniferous material in the substrate for these beetles as it may harm the larvae.

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  Colour variation in P. marginata

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  Beetles in terrarium feeding on a slice of banana.

References

• 1. Rigout (J.), 1989, The Beetles of the World, volume 9, Sciences Nat, Venette.
• 2. Rigout (J.), 1992, The Beetles of the World, volume 12, Sciences Nat, Venette.

External links

• Pachnoda marginata aurantia photos at Beetlespace.wz.cz
• Pachnoda marginata marginata photos at Beetlespace.wz.cz
• Pachnoda marginata peregrina photos at Beetlespace.wz.cz