''Pachnoda sinuata'', the garden fruit chafer or checkers tor or brown-and-yellow fruit chafer, is a species of

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

found in

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and e ...

and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

Subspecies

* '' Pachnoda sinuata calceata'' Harold, 1878 * '' Pachnoda sinuata flaviventris'' (Gory & Percheron, 1833) * ''

Pachnoda sinuata machadoi ''Pachnoda'' is a genus of beetles from the subfamily Cetoniinae with nearly all of the species living in Africa. The limit of the genus is given by the presence of internal lobes in their aedeagi. Species List of species: * ''Pachnoda abyssi ...

'' Rigout, 1989 * ''

Pachnoda sinuata nicolae ''Pachnoda'' is a genus of beetles from the subfamily Cetoniinae with nearly all of the species living in Africa. The limit of the genus is given by the presence of internal lobes in their aedeagi. Species List of species: * ''Pachnoda abyssi ...

'' Rigout, 1986 * ''

Pachnoda sinuata sinuata ''Pachnoda'' is a genus of beetles from the subfamily Cetoniinae with nearly all of the species living in Africa. The limit of the genus is given by the presence of internal lobes in their aedeagi. Species List of species: * ''Pachnoda abyssi ...

'' (Fabricius, 1775)Biolib
/ref>

Identification

The species is part of the large family Scarabaeidae, which also include the scarabs and dung beetles. This species is large with a smooth carapace. Colouration is variable but basically yellow with dark brown central area broken by yellow spots and a transverse yellow line across the rear of the elytra.

Diet

Adult beetles feed on flowers and fruit, often destroying them in the process which makes them unpopular with gardeners. While commonly found on exotic plants like roses and camellias, these beetles also feed on a range of indigenous plants including ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus n ...

''.

Breeding

Adults lay their eggs in manure and compost heaps or among plant roots. The pupae develop inside large, egg-shaped protective clay shells.

Biology

This species is a popular prey species for many species of bird, such as

red-winged starling The red-winged starling (''Onychognathus morio'') is a bird of the starling family Sturnidae native to eastern Africa from Ethiopia to the Cape in South Africa. An omnivorous, generalist species, it prefers cliffs and mountainous areas for nest ...

s and

hadada ibis The hadeda ibis (''Bostrychia hagedash'') is an ibis native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. Altho ...

es.

Habitat

It ranges widely in South Africa and thus are found in a variety of habitats. They are commonly found in gardens.

Gallery

File:Pachnoda sinuata 01.jpg, Dorsal view File:PAchnoda sinuata von ventral.jpg, Ventral view File:Pachnoda-sinuata-mimicry.jpg,

Pygidium The pygidium (plural pygidia) is the posterior body part or shield of crustaceans and some other arthropods, such as insects and the extinct trilobites. In groups other than insects, it contains the anus and, in females, the ovipositor. It is com ...

, possibly showing animal mimicry File:Pachnoda sinuata Engerling.jpg, Larva File:Pachnoda sinuatus Pupa.jpg, Pupa File:Cétoine noir et jaune.jpg, On flowers

References

* Picker, Griffiths & Weaving - ''Field Guide to Insects of South Africa'' (Struik 2002) * Rigout (J.), 1989, ''

The Beetles of the World ''The Beetles of the World'' is a series of books devoted to Coleopterology. Sciences Nat published the 24 first volumes; the following volumes and the supplements were published by Hillside Books, Canterbury. The first book authored by Jacques ...

'', volume 9, Sciences Nat, Venett

External links

Montreal Insectarium

Pachnoda sinuata flaviventris in Biolib
Cetoniinae Beetles of Africa Beetles described in 1775 Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius {{Cetoniinae-stub