Protaetia fusca

Status

Pest

Common name(s)

mango flower beetle, Asian mango flower beetle

Taxonomy

Family: Scarabaeidae Subfamily: Cetoniinae Genus: Protaetia Species: Protaetia fusca (Herbst, 1790)

DNA barcode

DNA barcode unavailable

Adult diagnosis

Total body length 12.0–17.0 mm (0.47–0.67 in). Body broad oval; dorsoventrally flattened. Color dull, dark grey-brown to black, rarely metallic/shiny greenish; elytraelytra:
the hardened and chitinous wing-cover of a beetle that protect and overlie the flight wing
with distinct pale markings (may be lost in worn specimens). Clypeusclypeus:
part of the head anterior to the frons; the most anterior portion in dorsal view
broad, anterioranterior:
the front or forward; opposite of posterior
margin entire or sinuatesinuate:
gently curved (specifically of margins or edges); often in reference to the clypeus
. Front tibiatibia:
a segment of the leg articulated with the tarsus and femur
of male with 2 external teeth (rarely with small basal toothtooth:
a pointed process from an appendage or margin, often in reference to the tibia
); female with 3 distinct external teeth. Hind tibiatibia:
a segment of the leg articulated with the tarsus and femur
with single lateral ridge. ElytraElytra:
the hardened and chitinous wing-cover of a beetle that protect and overlie the flight wing
of male with apical spines, female lacking spines.

Larval diagnosis

(Simpson, 1990Simpson, 1990:
Simpson G. 1990. Immature stages of Protaetia fusca (Herbst). (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) with notes on its biology. Journal of the Australian Entomology Society 29: 67-73. full text (accessed 2015)): Like other Protaetia species, when alive, larvaelarvae:
the immature form of an insect; in scarabs, also called grub or white grub; preceded by the egg stage, followed by the pupal stage
crawl on their backs with their legs up, and they feel distinctly "squishy" rather than firm (a characteristic of coconut rhinoceros beetle [Oryctes rhinoceros] larvae). Grub C-shaped, not hump-backed, cylindrical, whitish. Maxillamaxilla:
set of paired mouthparts located posterior to the mandibles
with galeagalea:
outer branch or lobe of the maxilla
and lacinialacinia:
inner portion of the maxilla
fused, or nearly so. Clypeusclypeus:
part of the head anterior to the frons; the most anterior portion in dorsal view
with posteriorposterior:
towards the rear end; opposite of anterior
row of 4 setaesetae:
small, hair-like structure
, 1 setaseta:
small, hair-like structure
anteriorly at each margin. Labrumlabrum:
upper lip that covers the mandibles and is located ventrally relative to the clypeus
symmetrical; 1 large lateral setaseta:
small, hair-like structure
posteriorly, 2 pairs of smaller setaesetae:
small, hair-like structure
centrally, 1 large anterolateral setaseta:
small, hair-like structure
, apexapex:
point or edge furthest from the body
with 8 setaesetae:
small, hair-like structure
, group of 3 smaller setaesetae:
small, hair-like structure
either side of apexapex:
point or edge furthest from the body
. Terminal segment of antennaantenna:
paired sensory organ on head, formed from numerous segments
with 2 dorsaldorsal:
of or relating to the upper surface; opposite of ventral
and 3 ventralventral:
of or relating to the lower surface; opposite of dorsal
spots. Claws of third leg large and cylindrical, with 5–8 hairs. 9th and 10th abdominal segments fused. Anal opening transversetransverse:
extending horizontally across a surface
, straight to slightly curved, palidiumpalidium:
paired group(s) of recumbent (reclining) spines, usually occurring in rows; part of the raster
present.

Native range

Southeastern Asia. This beetle occurs across a vast stretch of the Indo-pacific region, occurring from India through China and southern Japan, into Indochina, the East Indies, and northern Australia (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)). It is adventiveadventive:
a species that has recently arrived to a new location; may or may not be invasive
in Florida, parts of the West Indies, Fiji, and Mauritius (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)).

Plant host(s)

Like other Protaetia species, P. fusca is a generalist, with adults feeding upon the nectar, pollen, fruit, and sap of a number of plant species. Avocados (Persea americana), domestic roses (Rosa spp.), and peaches (Prunus persica) are attacked in Australia (Simpson, 1990Simpson, 1990:
Simpson G. 1990. Immature stages of Protaetia fusca (Herbst). (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) with notes on its biology. Journal of the Australian Entomology Society 29: 67-73. full text (accessed 2015)). Elsewhere, African rattlebox (Crotalaria saltiana), bean tree (Cassia brewsteri), candle flower (Cassia alata), citrus (Citrus spp.), coconut palm (Cocos nucifera), corn (Zea mays), guava (Psidium guajava), longan (Dimocarpus longan), lychee (Litchi chinensis), mango (Mangifera indica), orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), poinciana tree (Delonix regia), solitaire palm (Ptychosperma elegans), and yellow ginger (Hedychium flavescens) are all recorded as hosts (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)), though almost any nectar producing or commercial fruit bearing plant is likely at risk. LarvaeLarvae:
the immature form of an insect; in scarabs, also called grub or white grub; preceded by the egg stage, followed by the pupal stage
are compost feeders and not known as plant pests (Simpson, 1990Simpson, 1990:
Simpson G. 1990. Immature stages of Protaetia fusca (Herbst). (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) with notes on its biology. Journal of the Australian Entomology Society 29: 67-73. full text (accessed 2015)).

Life history

In Australia, both adults and larvaelarvae:
the immature form of an insect; in scarabs, also called grub or white grub; preceded by the egg stage, followed by the pupal stage
are found throughout the year. Females deposit as many as 147 eggs in humushumus:
soil rich in organic matter
during their 6–7 month adult lifespans. LarvaeLarvae:
the immature form of an insect; in scarabs, also called grub or white grub; preceded by the egg stage, followed by the pupal stage
feed on organic materials within the soil rather than live plant roots and reached maturity in roughly 50 days. Natural enemies include wasps (Scolia spp.) that attack larvaelarvae:
the immature form of an insect; in scarabs, also called grub or white grub; preceded by the egg stage, followed by the pupal stage
, a variety of birds, and Aspergillus fIavus (a fungus that sometimes infects adults).

Pest potential

Significant. This species is a known and widespread pest. Beyond its native range, Protaetia fusca has spread widely and is known from the Bahamas, Barbados, Fiji, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, and Mauritius (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)). Specimens are recorded from the Cook Islands (McCormack, 2007McCormack, 2007:
McCormack G. 2007. Species page: mango-flower beetle. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust. Available from http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org/species.asp?id=14112 (accessed 2015).). Throughout its distribution, the beetle damages a wide range of plants, feeding on foliage, petals, nectar, pollen, and fruit. Beetles often damage flowers when foraging for nectar and pollen, sometimes completely severing the blossom (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)). Destruction of the flower can reduce the abundance of fruits that the plant will later bear. Although this species prefers already damaged or overripe fruits, fruits may be damaged (as is case in some related Protaetia species) (LeBlanc et al., 2013LeBlanc et al., 2013:
Leblanc L, Graham S, Pohlman K, Fujita B. 2013. Protaetia orientalis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) attracted to methyl eugenol fruit fly lure. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 45: 45–48. full text (accessed 2015)). Interestingly, there are records of this beetle invading commercial bee hives for honey (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)).

Status in Hawaii

Established. Protaetia fusca is found on all the major islands of Hawaii (Nishida, 2002Nishida, 2002:
Nishida G (editor). 2002. Hawaiian terrestrial arthropod checklist, fourth edition. Bishop Museum Technical Report 22: 1-313.). It occurs in both urban and rural areas where it can be common. It first arrived in the state in 1949 (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)).

Status in Guam

Established. This species is established on Guam, with the earliest published record dating from 1954 (Pemberton, 1954Pemberton, 1954:
Pemberton C. 1954. Report for 1949-1954, invertebrates consultant committee for the Pacific. The Pacific Science Board, National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., USA.).

Potential distribution and dispersal pathway

Protaetia fusca has already spread from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. The beetle was first recorded in Florida in 1982 when it was found in moss around the roots of a Madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena marginata) imported from a nursery in Hawaii. A number of specimens were found in South Florida in the following years, often on or near citrus plants (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)), and the species is now regarded as established (Thomas, 1998Thomas, 1998:
Thomas M. 1998. A flower beetle, Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Florida Department of Agriculture amp; Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry Entomology Circular 386: 1-2. full text (accessed 2015)). There are reliable reports of this species from the Caribbean nations of Barbados and the Bahamas (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)). Further, a number of specimens have been intercepted in the state of California (Gaimari, 2005Gaimari, 2005:
Gaimari S (editor). 2005. California plant pest amp; disease report. California Department of Food and Agriculture, Plant Pest Diagnostics Branch 22: 52 (July 2002-July 2005).). These specimens were found in cargo from Hawaii (Woodruff, 2006Woodruff, 2006:
Woodruff R. 2006. The Asian mango flower beetle, Protaetia fusca (Herbst), and Euphoria sepulcralis (Fabricius) in Florida and the West Indies (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae). Insecta Mundi 20: 227-232. full text (accessed 2015)). While it is not clear if this beetle can survive winters in most of the contiguous U.S., it appears likely that this species will reach Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in the future. In addition to cargo and nursery stock, it is possible that this species might be transported in commercially exported fruit, given its frugivorous habits.

Similar species

This beetle is one of the three members of the genus Protaetia known from Hawaii and Guam. The remaining two species are Protaetia orientalis and Protaetia pryeri. These three species are separated by size (P. fusca 12.0–17.0 mm [0.47–0.67 in] versus P. orientalis and P. pryeri that are both over 19.0 mm [0.75 in]), examination of the elytral apices (P. fusca with apical spines in the male versus P. orientalis and P. pryeri always without apical spines), and hind tibiatibia:
a segment of the leg articulated with the tarsus and femur
(P. fusca with single lateral ridge versus P. orientalis with two ridges).

Other names (synonyms)

Cetonia atomaria Fabricius, Cetonia fictilis Newman, Cetonia fusca Herbst, Cetonia mandarina Weber, Heteroprotaetia fusca Miksic, Protaetia bourgoini Paulian, Protaetia mandarinea Burmeister, Protaetia taiwana Niijima and Kinoshita

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