Monkey beetle

Monkey beetles
	Hoplia philanthus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Scarabaeidae
Subfamily:	Melolonthinae or Rutelinae
Tribe:	Hopliini; Latreille, 1829

Monkey beetles are scarab beetles, a group of around 70 genera and 850 described species within the tribe Hopliini. The placement of this tribe within the family Scarabaeidae is uncertain between Melolonthinae and Rutelinae.^[1] Many species visit flowers for pollen and nectar, or browse on the petals. The beetles are important pollinators of Aizoaceae and Asteraceae in grazed and ungrazed areas, as well as many others.^[2]

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They tend to favor flowers of white, yellow, pink, orange, and blue pigments. They also tend to favor flowers of symmetrical, abstract patterns ^[3]^[4] Due to their pollination patterns, many plants evolved special features that attracted monkey beetles, such as the Iridaceae which now have bright colors and symmetrical, unique patterns.

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These 70 genera belong to the tribe Hopliini:^[5]

Amblymelanoplia Dombrow, 2002
Anisochelus Burmeister, 1844
Argoplia Dombrow, 2003
Beckhoplia Dombrow, 2005
Bizanus Péringuey, 1902
Blikana Péringuey, 1902
Burmeistoplia Dombrow, 2003
Ceratochelus Dombrow, 2002
Chasme Le Peletier & Serville, 1828
Clania Schein, 1956
Coega Péringuey, 1902
Cylichnus Burmeister, 1844
Cylindrocrates Schein, 1958
Dentiheterochelus Dombrow, 2002
Diaplochelus Burmeister, 1844
Dichelhoplia Blanchard, 1850
Dicranocnemus Burmeister, 1844
Dolichiomicroscelis Dombrow, 2003
Ectinohoplia Redtenbacher, 1868
Eremoplia Kolbe, 1914
Eriesthis Burmeister, 1844
Goniaspidius Burmeister, 1844
Gouna Péringuey, 1902
Gymnoloma Dejean, 1833
Gyroplia Brenske, 1893
Harpina Burmeister, 1844
Himalhoplia Sabatinelli, 1983
Hoplebaea Brenske, 1899
Hoplia Illiger, 1803
Hoplocnemis Harold, 1869
Hoplorida Moser, 1918
Idutywa Péringuey, 1902
Inanda Péringuey, 1902
Kareiga Péringuey, 1902
Khoina Péringuey, 1902
Knysna Péringuey, 1902
Korisaba Péringuey, 1902
Kubousa Péringuey, 1902
Lepisia Le Peletier & Serville, 1828
Lepithrix Le Peletier & Serville, 1828
Lepitrichula Schein, 1959
Leptocnemis Dombrow, 2001
Macroplia Brenske, 1898
Mauromecistoplia Dombrow, 2002
Microplidus Péringuey, 1902
Microplus Burmeister, 1844
Mitrophorus Burmeister, 1844
Monochelus Le Peletier & Serville, 1828
Nanaga Péringuey, 1902
Nanniscus Burmeister, 1844
Nesohoplia Scott, 1912
Nigroplia Dombrow, 2002
Omocnemus Schein, 1958
Omocrates Burmeister, 1844
Outeniqua Péringuey, 1902
Paraceratochelus Dombrow, 2002
Pareriesthis Moser, 1918
Platychelus Burmeister, 1844
Pseudheterochelus Schein, 1959
Pseudocongella Moser, 1924
Pseudouteniqua Schein, 1959
Rabula Péringuey, 1902
Rectoscutaria Schein, 1958
Scelidothrix Dombrow, 2001
Scelophysa Burmeister, 1844
Stigmatoplia Dombrow, 2001
Thabina Péringuey, 1902
Thoracoplia Prokofiev, 2015
Toxocnemis Dombrow, 2002
Vansoniola Schein, 1958

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[1]
Ahrens, D.; Scott, M.; Vogler, A.P. 2011: The phylogeny of monkey beetles based on mitochondrial and ribosomal RNA genes (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Hopliini). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 60(3): 408-415. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.04.011
[2]
Mayer, C., Soka, G. & Picker, M. The importance of monkey beetle (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini) pollination for Aizoaceae and Asteraceae in grazed and ungrazed areas at Paulshoek, Succulent Karoo, South Africa. J Insect Conserv 10, 323–333 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-006-9006-0
[3]
Steven D. Johnson, Jeremy J. Midgley, Pollination by Monkey Beetles (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini): Do Color and Dark Centers of Flowers Influence Alighting Behavior?, Environmental Entomology, Volume 30, Issue 5, 1 October 2001, Pages 861868, https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X-30.5.861
[4]
Shelley A Johnson, Susan W Nicolson, Pollen digestion by flower-feeding Scarabaeidae: protea beetles (Cetoniini) and monkey beetles (Hopliini), Journal of Insect Physiology, Volume 47, Issue 7, 2001, Pages 725-733, ISSN 0022-1910, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022 1910(00)00166-9.
[5]
"Hopliini Latreille, 1829". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2023-09-26.

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[1] [1]
Ahrens, D.; Scott, M.; Vogler, A.P. 2011: The phylogeny of monkey beetles based on mitochondrial and ribosomal RNA genes (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Hopliini). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 60(3): 408-415. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.04.011

[2] [2]
Mayer, C., Soka, G. & Picker, M. The importance of monkey beetle (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini) pollination for Aizoaceae and Asteraceae in grazed and ungrazed areas at Paulshoek, Succulent Karoo, South Africa. J Insect Conserv 10, 323–333 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-006-9006-0

[3] [3]
Steven D. Johnson, Jeremy J. Midgley, Pollination by Monkey Beetles (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini): Do Color and Dark Centers of Flowers Influence Alighting Behavior?, Environmental Entomology, Volume 30, Issue 5, 1 October 2001, Pages 861868, https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X-30.5.861

[4] [4]
Shelley A Johnson, Susan W Nicolson, Pollen digestion by flower-feeding Scarabaeidae: protea beetles (Cetoniini) and monkey beetles (Hopliini), Journal of Insect Physiology, Volume 47, Issue 7, 2001, Pages 725-733, ISSN 0022-1910, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022 1910(00)00166-9.

[catlife-5] [5]
"Hopliini Latreille, 1829". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2023-09-26.

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Monkey beetle

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Genera

References

Monkey beetles

Hoplia philanthus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Scarabaeidae
Subfamily:	Melolonthinae or Rutelinae
Tribe:	Hopliini Latreille, 1829