Minnesota Seasons - bee-mimic beetle (Trichiotinus assimilis)

Photo by Bill Reynolds

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

not listed

Minnesota

not listed


	Description
	Bee-mimic beetle is a stout-bodied, oval, ¼″ to ½″ long, flower chafer beetle. The body is more or less flattened above. The upper plate covering the thorax (pronotum) is brown to black and densely covered with long, tan hairs. The hardened outer wings (elytra) are black with brown and pale markings. Two brown or whitish longitudinal stripes near the inner margin of each elytra join in an irregular brown patch near the forward margin. Two pale brown or whitish horizontal stripes extend from the outermost longitudinal stripe to the outer margin of each elytra. The horizontal stripes are unusual and help to identify this as belonging to the tribe Trichiini. The abdomen is densely covered with long hairs that poke out from under the elytra. Each antenna has 3 or 4 long projections on one side that can be brought together and closed tightly. The first segment of the front leg (coxa) is conical. The pair of claws at the end of each hind foot (tarsus) is simple, not doubled or toothed, and are of equal length.

	Size
	¼″ to ½″

	Similar Species



	Habitat
	Open areas near woodlands


	Biology
	Season
	April to August

	Behavior


	Life Cycle
	The female lays her eggs in rotting wood of decaying hardwood trees.

	Larva Food
	Rotting wood

	Adult Food
	Slower pollen and/or nectar. May also feed on foliage and stems.


	Distribution
			Sources 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.
	2/6/2021

	Only two species of Trichiotinus occur in Minnesota. The range of Trichiotinus piger barely extends into the southeastern corner of the state. Trichiotinus assimilis is found in the northern half of the state. The ranges do not overlap.

	Occurrence
	Common


	Taxonomy
	Order	Coleoptera (beetles)
	Suborder	Polyphaga (water, rove, scarab, longhorn, leaf and snout beetles)
	Infraorder	Scarabaeiformia
	Superfamily	Scarabaeoidea (scarab, stag and bess beetles)
	Family	Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles)
	Subfamily	Cetoniinae (fruit and flower chafers)
	Tribe	Trichiini
	Genus	Trichiotinus



	Synonyms
	Trichius bistriga

	Common Names
	bee-mimic beetle

Glossary

Elytra

The hardened or leathery forewings on an insect used to protect the fragile hindwings, which are used for flying, in beetles and true bugs.

Pronotum

The saddle-shaped, exoskeletal plate on the upper side of the first segment of the thorax of an insect.

Tarsus

The last two to five subdivisions of an insect’s leg, attached to the tibia; the foot. Plural: tarsi.


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Bill Reynolds

While hunting on Prairie Rose this White Crab Spider turned up it's nose, so to speak, and walked away from the Carrion Beetle. I guess it pays to stink a little.


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Bill Reynolds 8/30/2015	Location: Pennington County, MN While hunting on Prairie Rose this White Crab Spider turned up it's nose, so to speak, and walked away from the Carrion Beetle. I guess it pays to stink a little.



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bee-mimic beetle