| Dicronorrhina derbyana | |
|---|---|
| Mating Dicronorrhina derbyana layardi, at the Montreal Insectarium | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Family: | Scarabaeidae |
| Subfamily: | Cetoniinae |
| Genus: | Dicronorrhina |
| Species: | D. derbyana |
| Binomial name | |
| Dicronorrhina derbyana Westwood, 1843 |
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Dicronorrhina derbyana, common name Derby's Flower Beetle, is a species of beetles belonging to the Scarabaeidae family, Cetoniinae subfamily.
Contents |
Dicronorrhina derbyana is the smallest within the genus. It reaches about 40–50 millimetres (1.6–2.0 in) of length in the males, while the females are slightly smaller than the males, reaching about 35–38 millimetres (1.4–1.5 in) of length.
In Dicronorrhina derbyana layardi the basic colour of the body is usually metallic green with a red sheen and white stripes on pronotum and elytra. In Dicronorrhina derbyana conradsi the body is purple-brown with blue sheen and yellowish stripes . It is completely metallic green in Dicronorrhina derbyana oberthueri. [2] The males have a "T"-shaped, flat horn in the forehead. The larvae live in the soil on decaying vegetal material, while the adults feed primarily on tree sap and fruits. Female lays up to 200 eggs.The full life cycle will take 8-9 months, and the adult beetles can live 3-4 months.
These attractive beetles are mainly present in Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia and Kenya.