Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Genus Trigonopeltastes Rank Species | Subphylum Hexapoda Family Scarabaeidae Phylum Arthropoda Order Beetle | |
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Similar Beetle, Gnorimella, Trichiotinus affinis, Trichiini, Euphoria | ||
Trigonopeltastes delta, the delta flower scarab or D beetle, is a diurnal species of scarab beetle native to the southeastern United States, though their range extends as far north as New Jersey.
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Description
Adults measure 8-10 millimeters in length, and can be identified by the yellow triangle on the pronotum, which resembles the defensive coloration of many wasps and has been theorized to act as Batesian mimicry.
Etymology
The generic name is derived from Greek words meaning "triangular shield", with the specific name "delta" referring to the pattern on the dorsal side of the beetle's prothorax, which is reminiscent of the Greek letter delta.
References
Trigonopeltastes delta Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA