Zig-Zag Fruit Chafer
Anisorrhina flavomaculata
Zig-Zag Fruit Chafer
Photo by Ian Webb (CC BY 4.0)
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Photo by Ian Webb (CC BY 4.0)
1 of 4
A Zig-Zag Fruit Chafer is a beautiful, shiny reddish-brown Scarab beetle (Scarabaeidae) belonging to the Fruit Beetle subfamily (Cetoniinae).
These beetles will feed on various fruits and flowers, but particularly favour Prickly Pears and sap flows. Sometimes they're found hanging out in beehives!
They have distinctive patterning on the elytra, with a yellow irregular-shaped patch per wing case.
Traits

A beautiful beetle that can help pollinate flowers!
Appearance
Adults: These beetles are medium-sized (2.5cm). They are distinctive patterns making them easy to identify. They're a reddish-brown, with 2 pairs of spots on the pronotum. The triangular section between the wings comprises 2 additional spots. The dots can vary in size between individuals. The elytra (wingcases) possess two symmetrical yellow patches outlined in black.
Larvae: The grubs (larvae) develop in cow dung, but may sometimes be found in compost heaps. They contribute to churning the soil, increasing the rate of soil formation.
Activity
Diurnal
Personality
Order
Coleoptera
Family
Scarabaeidae
Metamorphosis
Complete
Distribution
South Africa
Biological treatment
The benefits this beetle provides the wider ecosystem outweigh any negatives.
These beetles may take a few bites from flowers but at the same time provide decomposition and pollination services too.
They're also a primary food resource for other insects, birds, rodents and reptiles.
Chemical treatment
No specific chemical control for this beetle.