Rutelinae or shining leaf chafers is a subfamily of the scarab

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s (

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Scarabaeidae). It is a very diverse group; distributed over most of the world, it contains some 200 genera with over 4,000 described

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in 7 tribes. A few recent classifications include the tribe Hopliini, but this is not generally accepted. Unlike some of their relatives, their habitus is usually lacking in ornamentation, such as horns. They resemble the Melolonthinae in being fairly plesiomorphic in outward appearance. Many species have brilliant or iridescent hues, however, such as the genus '' Chrysina'', and a number of species are serious pests (e.g., the

Japanese beetle The Japanese beetle (''Popillia japonica'') is a species of scarab beetle. The adult measures in length and in width, has iridescent copper-colored elytra and a green thorax and head. It is not very destructive in Japan (where it is control ...

References

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q1258274 Polyphaga subfamilies Scarabaeidae Taxa named by William Sharp Macleay