Jewel Scarab

The ruteline genus ''Chrysina'', or jewel scarabs (not to be confused with jewel beetles, which are a different family), is a large genus of brightly colored, often metallic iridescent species, ranging from the southwestern edge of the United States as far south as Venezuela and Ecuador. The genus includes all the species formerly known as ''Plusiotis''.Hawks, D.C. 2001. Taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in ''Chrysina'' and a synonymic checklist of species (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae). Occ. Papers Consort. Coleopt. 4: 1-8 They are typically between in length, and are nocturnal in habits, coming readily to lights. The larvae live in rotting logs, while the adults commonly feed on foliage; they tend to be found in pine, juniper, or pine-oak forests, most commonly between elevation. They are most diverse in countries such as Guatemala, where as many as 15 species can be found in a single location, but there are only 4 species which occur in the United States.

These beetles are very popular among collectors; many species are polymorphic, with rare color variants that can command high prices. One such specimen was featured on the cover of National Geographic Magazine. The majority of species are bright green, but metallic silver and gold are also common colors, and may be combined with green as in the common ''Chrysina gloriosa'' from the Madrean sky islands region.

Particularly attractive specimens were reported to sell for as much as $500 in 2007.

The genus name is from Greek χρύσινος (''chrysinos''), "gold-coloured".

Species

*'' Chrysina adelaida'' (Hope, 1841)
*'' Chrysina adolphi'' Chevrolat, 1859
*'' Chrysina alexae'' Monzón, 2017
*'' Chrysina alfredolaui'' (Hawks, 1995)
*'' Chrysina alphabarrerai'' (Morón, 1981)
*'' Chrysina amalia'' (Burmeister, 1844)
*'' Chrysina antonkozlovi'' Monzón, 2017
*'' Chrysina arellanoi'' Monzón, 2012
*'' Chrysina argenteola'' (H. Bates, 1888)
*'' Chrysina aurigans'' (Rothschild & Jordan, 1894)
*'' Chrysina aurilisternum'' Perez-Flores, Villagomez & Galindo, 2016
*'' Chrysina auripes'' Gray, 1832
*'' Chrysina aurofoveata'' (Morón, 1981)
*'' Chrysina auropunctata'' (Ohaus, 1913)
*'' Chrysina aurora'' (Boucard, 1875)
*'' Chrysina badeni'' (Boucard, 1878)
*'' Chrysina baileyana'' Monzón, 2010
*'' Chrysina batesi'' (Boucard, 1875)
*'' Chrysina beckeri'' H. Bates, 1889
*'' Chrysina benesi'' Pokorný & Curoe, 2012
*'' Chrysina beraudi'' (Warner, Hawks & Bruyea, 1992)
*'' Chrysina beyeri'' (Skinner, 1905)
*'' Chrysina blackalleri'' Monzón & García, 2011
*'' Chrysina boucardi'' (Sallé, 1878)
*'' Chrysina brevis'' (Rothschild & Jordan, 1894)
*'' Chrysina bruyeai'' (Hawks, 1999)
*'' Chrysina cavei'' Hawks & Bruyea, 1999
*'' Chrysina centralis'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina chalcothea'' (H. Bates, 1888)
*'' Chrysina chimalapensis'' Mora-Aguilar, Curoe, Delgado & Ramírez-Ponce 2018
*'' Chrysina chloreis'' (H. Bates, 1888)
*'' Chrysina chrysargyrea'' (Sallé, 1874)
*'' Chrysina chrysopedila'' (H. Bates, 1888)
*'' Chrysina citlaltepetlamayatli'' (Blackaller-Bages & Delgado, 1994)
*'' Chrysina clavellina'' Monzón, Blackaller, & Hawks, 2020
*'' Chrysina clypealis'' (Rothschild & Jordan, 1894)
*'' Chrysina colima'' (Morón, 1992)
*'' Chrysina confusa'' (Ohaus, 1913)
*'' Chrysina costata'' (Blanchard, 1850)
*'' Chrysina crassimargo'' (Rothschild & Jordan, 1894)
*'' Chrysina cunninghami'' (Curoe, 1999)
*'' Chrysina cupreomarginata'' (F. Bates, 1904)
*'' Chrysina curoei'' (Warner, LeBlanc, Hawks & Bruyea, 1992)
*'' Chrysina cusuquensis'' (Curoe, 1994)
*'' Chrysina dianae'' (Ratcliffe & Taylor, 1992)
*'' Chrysina difficilis'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina diversa'' (Ohaus, 1912)
*'' Chrysina donthomasi'' Monzón & García, 2011
*'' Chrysina dzidorhum'' (Arnaud, 1994)
*'' Chrysina ericsmithi'' (Monzón & Cano, 1999)
*'' Chrysina erubescens'' H. Bates, 1889
*'' Chrysina expansa'' (Ohaus, 1913)
*'' Chrysina eyai'' Curoe, 2012
*'' Chrysina falcifera'' Hawks, 2017
*'' Chrysina flohri'' (Ohaus, 1905)
*'' Chrysina gaitalica'' Curoe, 2012
*'' Chrysina galbina'' Hawks, 2017
*'' Chrysina giesberti'' Monzón, 2010
*''Chrysina gloriosa'' (Leconte, 1854)
*'' Chrysina gorda'' Delgado, 2003
*'' Chrysina guatemalensis'' (Monzón, Cano & Bailey, 1999)
*'' Chrysina guaymi'' (Curoe, 2001)
*'' Chrysina halffteri'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina hawksi'' Monzón, 2010
*'' Chrysina howdenorum'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina intermedia'' (Ohaus, 1913)
*'' Chrysina juxtaprasina'' Hawks, 2017
*'' Chrysina kalinini'' Zubov & Ivshin, 2019
*'' Chrysina karschi'' (Nonfried, 1891)
*'' Chrysina lacordairei'' (Boucard, 1875)
*'' Chrysina laniventris'' (Sturm, 1843)
*'' Chrysina lecontei'' (Horn, 1882)
*''Chrysina limbata'' (Rothschild & Jordan, 1894)
*'' Chrysina luteomarginata'' (Ohaus, 1913)
*'' Chrysina macropus'' (Francillon, 1795)
*'' Chrysina magnistriata'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina maishei'' Monzón, 2017
*'' Chrysina marginata'' (Waterhouse, 1871)
*'' Chrysina miguelangeli'' Nogueira & Curoe, 2012
*'' Chrysina misteca'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina modesta'' (Sturm, 1843)
*'' Chrysina moroni'' (Curoe & Beraud, 1994)
*'' Chrysina nogueirai'' (Morón, 1992)
*'' Chrysina ofidiodontophallica'' Curoe, 2011
*'' Chrysina optima'' (H. Bates, 1888)
*'' Chrysina oreicola'' (Morón, 1992)
*'' Chrysina orizabae'' (H. Bates, 1889)
*'' Chrysina pastori'' (Curoe, 1994)
*'' Chrysina paulseni'' Hawks, 2017
*'' Chrysina pehlkei'' (Ohaus, 1930)
*'' Chrysina peruviana'' Kirby, 1828
*'' Chrysina plusiotina'' (Ohaus, 1912)
*'' Chrysina porioni'' Monzón & Hawks, 2020
*'' Chrysina prasina'' (Boucard, 1878)
*'' Chrysina pricei'' Hawks, 2020
*'' Chrysina prototelica'' (Morón & Howden, 1992)
*'' Chrysina psittacina'' (Sturm, 1843)
*'' Chrysina purpurata'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina purulhensis'' (Monzón & Warner, 1993)
*'' Chrysina quetzalcoatli'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina quiche'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina ratcliffei'' (Morón, 1990)
*''Chrysina resplendens'' (Boucard, 1875)
*'' Chrysina robackeri'' Hawks, 2020
*'' Chrysina rodriguezi'' (Boucard, 1878)
*'' Chrysina sagacita'' Hawks, 2017
*'' Chrysina sallaei'' (Boucard, 1875)
*'' Chrysina schusteri'' (Monzon, Cano & Bailey, 1999)
*'' Chrysina sirenicola'' (Solís & Morón, 1995)
*'' Chrysina spectabilis'' (Ratcliffe & Jameson, 1992)
*'' Chrysina strasseni'' (Ohaus, 1924)
*'' Chrysina tapantina'' (Morón, 1992)
*'' Chrysina taylori'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina tecunumani'' (Cano & Morón, 1995)
*'' Chrysina terroni'' (Morón, 1990)
*'' Chrysina transvolcanica'' (Morón & Nogueira, 2016)
*'' Chrysina tricolor'' (Ohaus, 1922)
*'' Chrysina triumphalis'' Morón, 1990
*'' Chrysina tuerckheimi'' (Ohaus, 1913)
*'' Chrysina valentini'' Zubov & Ivshin, 2019
*'' Chrysina veraguana'' (Ohaus, 1922)
*'' Chrysina victorina'' (Hope, 1841)
*'' Chrysina wolfi'' (Ohaus, 1912)
*'' Chrysina woodi'' (Horn, 1884)
*'' Chrysina woodruffi'' Monzón, 2017
*'' Chrysina xalixteca'' (Morón, 1992)
*'' Chrysina zapoteca'' (Morón, 1990)

Metallic color mechanism

Research has shown that the elytra of ''Chrysina'' are composed of about 70 chitinous layers of exoskeleton. The different reflective indices and spacing of the layers cause light of different wavelengths to be selectively refracted through them and by them in different phases, leading to a metallic appearance, and also leads to different specimens having different colors.

References

External links

Generic Guide to New World Scarab Beetles

{{Taxonbar, from=Q11979610

Rutelinae