Monkey beetles are scarab beetles, a group of around 70 genera and 850 described species within the tribe Hopliini. The placement of this tribe within the family

Scarabaeidae The family Scarabaeidae, as currently defined, consists of over 35,000 species of beetles worldwide; they are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family has undergone significant change. Several groups formerly tre ...

is uncertain between

Melolonthinae Melolonthinae is a subfamily of the Scarabaeidae, scarab beetles (family (biology), family Scarabaeidae). It is a very diverse group; distributed over most of the world, it contains over 11,000 species in over 750 genera. Some authors include the ...

and Rutelinae. Many species visit

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s for

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm ...

and

nectar Nectar is a viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...

, or to browse on the petals. The beetles are important pollinators of

Aizoaceae The Aizoaceae (), or fig-marigold family, is a large family of dicotyledonous flowering plants containing 135 genera and about 1,800 species. Several genera are commonly known as 'ice plants' or 'carpet weeds'. The Aizoaceae are also referred to a ...

and

Asteraceae Asteraceae () is a large family (biology), family of flowering plants that consists of over 32,000 known species in over 1,900 genera within the Order (biology), order Asterales. The number of species in Asteraceae is rivaled only by the Orchi ...

in grazed and ungrazed areas, as well as many others. They tend to favor flowers of white, yellow, pink, orange, and blue pigments. They also tend to favor flowers of symmetrical, abstract patterns.Shelley A Johnson, Susan W Nicolson, Pollen digestion by flower-feeding Scarabaeidae: protea beetles (Cetoniini) and monkey beetles (Hopliini), Journal of Insect Physiology, Volume 47, Issue 7, 2001, Pages 725-733, ISSN 0022-1910, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022 1910(00)00166-9. Due to their pollination patterns, many plants evolved special features in order to attract monkey beetles, such as the

Iridaceae Iridaceae () is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the Iris (plant), irises. It has a nearly global distribution, with 69 accepted genera with a total of about 2500 species. It includes a number of economically importan ...

which now have bright colors and symmetrical, unique patterns.

Genera

These 70 genera belong to the tribe Hopliini: * '' Amblymelanoplia'' Dombrow, 2002 * '' Anisochelus'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Argoplia'' Dombrow, 2003 * '' Beckhoplia'' Dombrow, 2005 * '' Bizanus'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Blikana'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Burmeistoplia'' Dombrow, 2003 * '' Ceratochelus'' Dombrow, 2002 * '' Chasme'' Le Peletier & Serville, 1828 * '' Clania'' Schein, 1956 * '' Coega'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Cylichnus'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Cylindrocrates'' Schein, 1958 * '' Dentiheterochelus'' Dombrow, 2002 * '' Diaplochelus'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Dichelhoplia'' Blanchard, 1850 * '' Dicranocnemus'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Dolichiomicroscelis'' Dombrow, 2003 * '' Ectinohoplia'' Redtenbacher, 1868 * '' Eremoplia'' Kolbe, 1914 * '' Eriesthis'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Goniaspidius'' Burmeister, 1844 * ''

Gouna Gouna is a village and rural commune in Niger Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, ...

'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Gymnoloma'' Dejean, 1833 * '' Gyroplia'' Brenske, 1893 * ''

Harpina In Greek mythology, Harpina (; Ancient Greek: Ἅρπινα) was a Naiad nymph and daughter of Phliasian Asopus and of Metope. Mythology According to the tradition of the Eleans and Phliasians, Ares mated with Harpina in the city of Pisa ...

'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Himalhoplia'' Sabatinelli, 1983 * '' Hoplebaea'' Brenske, 1899 * '' Hoplia'' Illiger, 1803 * '' Hoplocnemis'' Harold, 1869 * '' Hoplorida'' Moser, 1918 * '' Idutywa'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Inanda'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Kareiga'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Khoina'' Péringuey, 1902 * ''

Knysna Knysna (; ) is a town with 76,150 inhabitants (2019 mid-year estimates) in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is one of the destinations on the loosely defined Garden Route tourist route. It is situated 60 kilometres east of the c ...

'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Korisaba'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Kubousa'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Lepisia'' Le Peletier & Serville, 1828 * '' Lepithrix'' Le Peletier & Serville, 1828 * '' Lepitrichula'' Schein, 1959 * '' Leptocnemis'' Dombrow, 2001 * '' Macroplia'' Brenske, 1898 * '' Mauromecistoplia'' Dombrow, 2002 * '' Microplidus'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Microplus'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Mitrophorus'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Monochelus'' Le Peletier & Serville, 1828 * '' Nanaga'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Nanniscus'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Nesohoplia'' Scott, 1912 * '' Nigroplia'' Dombrow, 2002 * '' Omocnemus'' Schein, 1958 * '' Omocrates'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Outeniqua'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Paraceratochelus'' Dombrow, 2002 * '' Pareriesthis'' Moser, 1918 * '' Platychelus'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Pseudheterochelus'' Schein, 1959 * '' Pseudocongella'' Moser, 1924 * '' Pseudouteniqua'' Schein, 1959 * '' Rabula'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Rectoscutaria'' Schein, 1958 * '' Scelidothrix'' Dombrow, 2001 * '' Scelophysa'' Burmeister, 1844 * '' Stigmatoplia'' Dombrow, 2001 * '' Thabina'' Péringuey, 1902 * '' Thoracoplia'' Prokofiev, 2015 * '' Toxocnemis'' Dombrow, 2002 * '' Vansoniola'' Schein, 1958

References

Scarabaeidae Insect common names {{Scarabaeidae-stub