Biology and description of immature stages of Gymnetis rufilateris (Illiger, 1800) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae: Cetoniinae)

Abstract

Larvae, pupae and adults of Gymnetis rufilateris (Illiger, 1800) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae: Cetoniinae) were collected in the municipality of Rochedo, Mato Grosso do Sul State. Studies on biology and morphology were conducted at the Laboratory of Entomology of the Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Females of couples formed in the laboratory oviposited and allowed the biology studies. The eggs lasted for 15.5 days. Larvae of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd instars lasted 13.5, 30.6 and 113.1 days, respectively. The pupal period lasted 12.8 days. The egg-to-adult period lasts 186.8 days. The larvae fed on decomposing feces of poultry. In the laboratory, adults fed on ripe banana (Musa sp.) (Musaceae). Descriptions of the 3rd larval instar and pupa of G. rufilateris are presented. A key to known larvae of Gymnetis is also included.

Diversity of Cetoniidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in the Cerrado of Central Brazil

“…This species is an ecological generalist distributed widely. Most of cetoniid larvae can develop in organic matter, animal feces, humus and rotting trunks as observed in I. bonplandi , G. flavomarginata , G. rufilateris , Hoplopyga liturata Olivier and M. maculosa (Ritcher ; Morón ; Costa et al ; Gara & Onore ; Arce‐Perez & Morón ; Morón & Arce ; Neita‐Moreno et al ; Rodrigues et al ). Some species such as H. albiventris and H. brasiliensis , however, inhabit nests of social insects, mainly termites (Luederwaldt ; Puker et al ).…”

“…Some species such as H. albiventris and H. brasiliensis , however, inhabit nests of social insects, mainly termites (Luederwaldt ; Puker et al ). Adults of many species such as G. flavomarginata , G. rufilateris , H. albiventris , H. liturata , Allorrhina cincta Gory & Percheron and Allorrhina menetriesii (Swederus), generally, feed on rotten or ripe fruits or plant sap (Luederwaldt ; Morón ; Arce‐Perez & Morón ; Di Iorio ; Ratcliffe ; Rodrigues et al ). Adults of Euphoria lurida Fabricius have been reported as a pest of some crops such as citrus and corn (Bertels & Baucke ; Garcia et al ).…”

Antennal sensilla of two species of Gymnetis MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae)

“…Some species have been associated with honeybee hives (Apis melifera, Hymenoptera) and possibly with ant nets (Formicidae, Hymenoptera), but the association with Hymenoptera is possibly accidental (Tejada and Morón, 2015;Ratcliffe, 2018;Ratcliffe and Nogueira, 2020). The larvae of the genus feed on rich organic matter soil, roots, and some species were noted inside composter or associated with ant nests (Orozco and Pardo-Locarno, 2004;Rodrigues et al, 2016;Sánchez-Soto et al, 2017;Ratcliffe, 2018). The immatures of seven species have been described (Ibarra-Polesel et al, 2022).…”