Trichiini

Distinguished from the related tribe Cetoniini by having covered epimeres and lateral edges of the elytra that are not trimmed.

Diverse; includes forested areas, riverine and afromontane forest pockets, mountain grasslands at high altitudes, and Fynbos vegetation in the Western Cape of South Africa. Larval microhabitats vary by genus: some develop inside old tree trunks and branches, others under stones or rock crevices, or in association with decomposing organic matter.

Cosmopolitan distribution with strong representation in the Palearctic, Afrotropical, and Nearctic regions. Notable concentrations include Europe (best-known fauna), South Africa (Western Cape endemism in genera such as Stegopterus; broader distribution in Stripsipher across Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North-West, Limpopo, Free State, Western Cape, plus Lesotho and Swaziland), and North America (e.g., Trigonopeltastes).

Adult activity generally peaks during warmer months. In South African species, emergence occurs from late October through March, with December–January peaks for high-altitude grassland species.

Adults feed on sugar-rich secretions from stems, leaves, fruits, and flowers of various plants; some species are nectar feeders from specific flowers including Buddleja saligna, Syzygium cordatum, Dalbergia obovata, Dalbergia armata, and Protea caffra. Larvae develop in rotten wood, decaying soft wood, decomposing grass litter, or herbivore dung (particularly Rock hyrax pellets in some species).

Larvae of most species develop in rotten wood or decaying plant matter. Larval development sites include old tree trunks and branches (often wood already partly consumed by other saproxylic species), under stones, or in rock crevices. Some larvae are suspended in air or avoid ground contact to reduce predation risk. Adults emerge in late spring to summer depending on species and elevation. Laboratory rearing of some species has achieved approximately 80% success rate.

Adults are flower-frequenting and diurnal. Some species fly in dense forests around decomposing wood during the hottest part of day, or crawl on dead trunks and branches. Others fly low above ground (10–50 cm) or rest on grasses. Some adult groups do not feed. Larvae of some species specifically avoid dying or recently dead wood, preferring wood already partially decomposed by other organisms.

Saproxylic species contribute to wood decomposition and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems. Some species participate in high-altitude grassland detritivore communities associated with mammal dung. As flower visitors, adults may contribute to pollination of their nectar sources.

Generally considered beneficial or benign; no significant economic pest status documented. Some species are conspicuous and well-known to naturalists, particularly the bee beetles (Trichius) in Europe. Potential economic importance of most species remains poorly studied.

• CetoniiniDistinguished by exposed epimeres and trimmed lateral edges of elytra; Trichiini have covered epimeres and untrimmed elytral edges.

• Cetoniinae
• flower chafer
• bee beetle
• saproxylic
• wood-boring larvae
• pollinator
• detritivore
• Fynbos endemic
• South African radiation

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• iNaturalist taxon
• Catalogue of Life
• Delta Flower Beetle Trigonopeltastes delta (Forster 1771) (Insecta: Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae : Cetoniinae : Tribe, Trichiini)
• Revision of the Western Cape endemic genus Stegopterus Burmeister & Schaum, 1840 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Trichiini)
• Immature stages and ecology of two species of the South African genus Stripsipher Gory & Percheron, 1833 (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Trichiini)
• Description and ecology of a new species of Eriopeltastes Burmeister & Schaum, 1840 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Trichiini), from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
• Description of three new species of Paratrichius Janson, 1881 from China and revision of the distribution range of Paratrichius rubrodecoratus (Tesař, 1952) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae: Trichiini)