Chrysina beyeri

(Skinner, 1905)

Beyer's scarab, Beyer's jewel scarab

Chrysina beyeri, commonly known as Beyer's scarab or Beyer's jewel scarab, is a of shining leaf chafer in the Scarabaeidae. This bright green is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, with records from southeastern Arizona, Texas, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Sonora. The species is known to come to mercury-vapor and ultraviolet lights at night in oak/juniper woodland .

Chrysina beyeri by (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda. Used under a CC-BY license.

Rutelinae (10.3897-zookeys.666.9191) Figure 1 by Moore MR, Jameson ML, Garner BH, Audibert C, Smith ABT, Seidel M (2017) Synopsis of the pelidnotine scarabs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) and annotated catalog of the species and subspecies. ZooKeys 666: 1-349. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.666.9191. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

BEETLE, SCARAB (Chrysina beyeri) (3763633569) by ALAN SCHMIERER. Used under a CC0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Chrysina beyeri: /kɹɪˈsaɪnə ˈbeɪəri/

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Identification

Chrysina beyeri closely resembles C. woodi in both size and general appearance. The two can be distinguished by leg coloration: C. beyeri has blue-purple legs and , while C. woodi has green legs with blue tarsi only. Both species are bright green metallic scarabs in the jewel scarab group.

Images

Habitat

Oak/juniper woodland in mountainous regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The has been collected at lights in such woodland .

Distribution

Nearctic region: United States (Arizona, Texas); Neotropical region: Mexico (Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Sonora). The is native to Chihuahua in Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the United States.

Seasonality

have been observed in July and August in Arizona, with records from blacklight collecting trips during the summer monsoon season. The appears to be active during the warmer months when nighttime lighting conditions are favorable.

Behavior

are attracted to mercury-vapor and ultraviolet lights at night. They have been observed flying to light sheets set up in oak/juniper woodland, often in company with other scarab including C. gloriosa, Lucanus mazama, and Parabyrsopolis chihuahuae.

Human Relevance

A target for collectors due to its attractive metallic coloration. The species is one of three Chrysina species occurring in Ramsey Canyon, Arizona, a well-known locality for scarab collectors.

Similar Taxa

Chrysina woodiVery similar in size and general bright green appearance, but distinguished by having green legs and blue versus the blue-purple legs and tarsi of C. beyeri
Chrysina gloriosaAnother bright green jewel scarab occurring in the same region and , often collected together at lights

More Details

Etymology

The specific epithet 'beyeri' presumably honors an individual, though the original description by Skinner (1905) should be consulted for confirmation.

Taxonomic history

Originally described by Skinner in 1905, this has remained in the Chrysina, which comprises the North American jewel scarabs.