''Cyrtothyrea'' is a small genus of Afrotropical chafer beetles (

Cetoniinae Flower chafers are a group of scarab beetles, comprising the subfamily Cetoniinae. Many species are diurnal and visit flowers for pollen and nectar, or to browse on the petals. Some species also feed on fruit. The group is also called fruit ...

). They are about 9 mm in size, black in colour with white dots or lines on the

thorax The thorax or chest is a part of the anatomy of humans, mammals, and other tetrapod animals located between the neck and the abdomen. In insects, crustaceans, and the extinct trilobites, the thorax is one of the three main divisions of the cre ...

elytra An elytron (; ; , ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometimes alterna ...

and

abdomen The abdomen (colloquially called the belly, tummy, midriff, tucky or stomach) is the part of the body between the thorax (chest) and pelvis, in humans and in other vertebrates. The abdomen is the front part of the abdominal segment of the to ...

. Each species has its own distinctive pattern. ''Cyrtothyrea'' are active during the day, and are often found on flowers, while feeding on nectar. They are pollinators of several plant groups, including lily, orchid, protea and asclepiad species. In the case of '' Lilium formosanum'', ''C. marginalis'' beetles feed on the anthers or force themselves deep down into the

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla ( petals) or tepals when ...

tubes to feed on nectar. At times they contact the stigma, which may also be used as a launch pad for taking off.

Species

* '' Cyrtothyrea marginalis'' (Swartz, 1817) * '' Cyrtothyrea rubriceps'' (Raffray, 1877) * '' Cyrtothyrea rudebecki'' Schein, 1960 * '' Cyrtothyrea testaceoguttata'' (Blanchard, 1850) File:Cyrtothyrea marginalis, Krantzkloof Natuurreservaat, b.jpg,

References

Scarabaeidae genera Cetoniinae Taxa named by Hermann Julius Kolbe {{Cetoniinae-stub