Trigonopeltastes delta
| Delta flower scarab | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Hexapoda |
| Class: | Insect |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Genus: | Trigonopeltastes |
| Species: | T. delta |
| Binomial name | |
| Trigonopeltastes delta Forster, 1771 | |
Trigonopeltastes delta, known as the delta flower scarab or D beetle, is a diurnal species of scarab beetle native to the southeastern United States, though their range extends as far north as New Jersey.
Description
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Adult on a coastalplain palafox flower.
Adults measure 8-10 millimeters in length, and can be identified by the yellow triangle on the pronotum, which resembles the defensive coloration of many wasps and has been theorized to act as Batesian mimicry.[1]
Etymology
The generic name is derived from Greek words meaning "triangular shield", with the specific name "delta" referring to the pattern on the dorsal side of the beetle's prothorax, which is reminiscent of the Greek letter delta.[2]
References
External links
- www.bugguide.net Retrieved May 23, 2014
- North American Insects and Spiders Retrieved May 23, 2014
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, August 26, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.