PACHNODA DARGEIEmbedded in clear epoxy resin |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Review of the tribe Melolonthini in the southeastern United States CLICK FOR DOWNLOAD PDF --------------------------------- Classification Phylum Arthropoda Class Insecta Order Coleoptera Superfamily Scarabaeidae Family Cetoniidae Genus Pachnoda Species P. Marginata Subspecies P.M. Perigrina
.............................. |
PACHNODA BEETLE
Pachnoda beetles, commonly known as sun beetles or Congo chafer beetles, belong to the subfamily Cetoniinae. The adult beetles are 20-30 mm in length, and the larvae, which are very small when they hatch, can grow as long as 60 mm. The adults are an attractive combination of orange/yellow and brown. They are reasonably active, especially when provided with suitable light and heat.
Pachnoda beetles hail from a wide area over Africa, where they are used to high temperatures and reasonable levels of humidity. They are commonly found on the forest floor. The grubs spend most of their life below ground level, feeding on decaying plant matter such as leaf litter, rotten wood, and ripe fruit.
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.
Several studies have been conducted on Pachnoda beetles. One study examined the activity pattern of the claw retractor muscle of Pachnoda marginata peregrina beetles. The muscle was found to be located in the tibia, without a femoral part, as is the case in other insects. Electromyograms of the muscle revealed a rather similar activity pattern during beetle locomotion on rough and smooth substrates.
Another study investigated the life cycle of Pachnoda sinuata flaviventris under laboratory conditions. The study found that the hatching period for eggs was 7 to 12 days with a mean of 9.7 days. The duration of the three larval instars may be shortened by the addition of cattle-dung to a diet of soil and compost.
|