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Beetles of Zihuatanejo

ORDER COLEOPTERA

Anomalini Shining Leaf Chafer Beetles
Anomalini (Tribe)

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

-Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

-Insects (Class Insecta)

-Winged and Once-winged Insects (Subclass Pterygota)

-Beetles (Order Coleoptera​​)

-​Water, Rove, Scarab, Long-horned, Leaf, and Snout Beetles (Suborder Polyphaga)

-Scarabaeiform Beetles (Infraorder Scarabaeiformia)

-Scarabs, Stag Beetles, and Allies (Superfamily Scarabaeidae)

-Scarabs (Family Scarabaeidae)

-Shining Leaf Chafers (Subfamily Rutelinae)

-​Tribe Anomalini


Anomalini is a tribe of shining leaf chafers in the family Scarabaeidae. They are commonly known as shining leaf chafers due to their often bright, metallic colors and glossy appearance. dult Anomalini beetles are mostly herbivorous, feeding on leaves, flowers, and fruits, which sometimes makes them agricultural pests. The larvae, commonly known as white grubs, develop underground and feed on plant roots, which can also lead to crop damage.

Diet

  • Larvae: Feed on decaying organic matter, plant roots, and decomposing vegetation in the soil. Some species may feed on the roots of grasses and cultivated plants.

  • Adults: Feed on leaves, flowers, pollen, nectar, ripe fruit, and tree sap, depending on the species.

Range

  • The tribe Anomalini is distributed worldwide, with its greatest diversity in tropical and subtropical regions.

  • Numerous genera and species occur throughout Mexico, including the Pacific coast of Guerrero and the Zihuatanejo region.

  • Members of the tribe occupy a wide range of habitats from lowland forests to mountainous regions.

Habitat

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical rainforests, pine-oak forests, woodland edges, grasslands, orchards, gardens, agricultural fields, and urban parks.

  • Larvae develop in soil rich in organic matter, while adults are commonly found on flowers, foliage, fruiting trees, and shrubs.

  • Many species are attracted to lights at night.

Size

  • Adult length: 8–25 mm (0.3–1.0 in), depending on the species.

  • Body oval, robust, and usually smooth and shiny, often metallic green, bronze, copper, or tan.

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