Rutelinae

Definition

A subfamily of Scarabaeidae (scarab beetles), commonly called shining leaf chafers, encompassing roughly 200 genera and over 4,000 described species distributed worldwide. Members are typically characterized by metallic coloration and folivorous larval or adult habits. The subfamily is divided into seven generally recognized tribes (Adoretini, Anomalini, Anoplognathini, Geniatini, Rutelini, Spodochlamyini, and sometimes Hopliini, though the latter placement remains disputed).

Etymology

From the genus Rutela + Latin suffix -inae (subfamily rank).

Example

The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), a notorious agricultural pest in North America, belongs to the tribe Anomalini within Rutelinae; its metallic green elytra and coppery pronotum are typical of the subfamily's often brilliant coloration.

Synonyms

• shining leaf chafers

Related Terms

• Scarabaeidae
• Scarabaeoidea
• Polyphaga
• Anomalini
• Anoplognathini
• Rutelini
• Hopliini
• chafer
• scarab beetle
• metallic coloration

Usage Notes

Rutelinae is treated as feminine plural in classical Latin usage. The inclusion of tribe Hopliini within Rutelinae remains taxonomically contentious—some recent phylogenetic studies include it, while traditional classifications place Hopliini in Melolonthinae or as separate. When discussing this subfamily, specialists often contrast it with Melolonthinae (May/June beetles) and Cetoniinae (flower chafers), with which it shares the superfamily Scarabaeoidea.