Mango Flower Beetle

The Mango Flower Beetle, also known as the Mottled Flower Scarab, is an introduced beetle from Asia and it is classed as a 'pest' species - although I haven't heard of them doing a lot of damage to fruit crops up here (FNQ Australia).

Apparently, the wee buggers have such a sweet tooth, (for nectar) they'll even enter bee hives - no word on how the bees react to this though. However, they don't have it all their own way as they're predated by all the usual suspects, (frogs, birds, lizrads etc ...) and the Blue Flower Wasp also reportedly preys upon their larvae. I suppose on occasion they're also consumed by another interloper - the Cane Toad.

Protaetia fusca

Seriously, sometimes three really is a crowd

Mango Flower Beetles belong to the family Scarabaeidae - however, according to wikipedia, debate rages in dank libraries and around Bunsen burners the world over regarding many of the insects currently classified as such. We wait with baited breath eh?.

Still, it's a huge family that includes Stag beetles, Dung beetles and Goliath beetles - all very groovy insects in their own right.

Take Care