This page was buid and is maintained by Pierre Tauzin, Guido Sabatinelli and Oz Rittner.
The general information on the subfamily and tribes are extracted from Brett C. Ratcliffe who we thank.

The members of the subfamily Cetoniinae are characterized by: mandibles weakly developed, hidden by clypeus; labrum membranous in most, hidden; antenna 10-segmented, club with 3 segments (these sometimes elongated); antennal insertion visible from above on side of clypeus; eye canthus long, narrow; elytron with distinct post-humeral emargination (Gymnetini, Cetoniini, Cremastocheilini) that reveals the mesepimeron at the base of elytron or lacking post-humeral emargination (Trichiini and Valgini); pygidium exposed; propygidium rigidly connected to fifth visible sternite; procoxae protruding conically downward; posterior coxae contiguous or nearly so in Trichiini; tarsal claws simple and subequal in size.

There are around 4,000 species of Cetoniinae described in the world. Schenkling, in the Coleopterorum Catalogus (1921), had recognized 7 tribes not including the Trichiini and Valgini. The subfamily Cetoniinae was redefined by Krikken (1984) to include 12 tribes (citing Trichiini and Valgini as tribes), of these 10 tribes occur in the Palaearctic Region: Cetoniini, Cremastocheilini, Diplognathini, goliathini, Gymnetini, Phaedimini, Schizorhinini, Taenioderini, Trichiini and Valgini.

The Cetoniinae are popularly called fruit and flower chafers, flower beetles and flower scarabs. Many species are diurnal and visit flowers for pollen and nectar, or to browse on the petals. Some species also take fruit few are termitophil.

Tribe CETONIINI

The Cetoniini are characterized by pronotum lacking basomedian lobe, scutellum visible; esepimeron distinct; posthumeral emargination of elytra distinct; elytra generally glabrous, velutinous, or with cretaceous patches; mesometasternal protrusion developed.

The Cetoniini is a large tribe and consists of about 107 genera. These beetles are widely distributed around the world although not as commonly in the Neotropics, Madagascar, or Australasia.

In the Levant, Cetonia aurata ssp. pallida was recorded by several authors, its presence is now excluded but you can access a specific page on this taxon here.

Aethiessa floralis Fabricius, 1787 (Cetonia)
Aethiessa mesopotamica ssp. mesopotamica Burmeister, 1842
Aethiessa mesopotamica ssp. rugipennis Burmeister, 1842

Genus Cetonia Fabricius, 1775

Cetonia delagrangei Boucard, 1893

Cetonia viridescens Reitter, 1891

Genus Protaetia Burmeister, 1842

Protaetia (Cetonischema) speciosa ssp. jousselini Gory and Percheron, 1833 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Eupotosia) affinis ssp. affinis Andersch, 1797 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Eupotosia) affinis ssp. pyrodera Reitter, 1891 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Eupotosia) mirifica ssp. koenigi Reitter, 1894
Protaetia (Foveopotosia) judith Reiche, 1871 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Netocia) afflicta ssp. afflicta Gory and Percheron, 1833 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Netocia) afflicta ssp. servillii Burmeister, 1842 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Netocia) subpilosa ssp. subpilosa Desbrochhers des Loges, 1869 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Netocia) subpilosa ssp. dorchini Legrand and Drumond, 2006
Protaetia (Netocia) trojana ssp. godeti Gory and Percheron, 1833 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Netocia) trojana ssp. syriaca Reitter, 1891 (Melanosa)
Protaetia (Netocia) ungarica ssp. armeniaca Menetries, 1832 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Netocia) vidua Gory and Percheron, 1833 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Potosia) angustata ssp. angustula Reitter, 1898 (Potosia)
Protaetia (Potosia) cuprea ssp. ignicollis Gory and Percheron, 1833 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Potosia) funebris ssp. funesta Menetries, 1836 (Cetonia)
Protaetia (Potosia) funebris ssp. aethiessoides Reitter, 1898 (Potosia)

Stalagmosoma albellum Pallas, 1781 (Scarabaeus)

Tropinota (Tropinota) squalida ssp. pilosa Brulle, 1832
Tropinota (Tropinota) vittula Reiche and Saulcy, 1856
Tropinota (Tropinota) hirtiformis Reitter, 1913
Tropinota (Tropinota) ilariae Dutto, 2008
Tropinota (Epicometis) hirta ssp. suturalis Reitter, 1913

Oxythyrea abigail Reiche and Saulcy, 1856

Oxythyrea cinctella Schaum, 1841 (Cetonia)
Oxythyrea noemi Reiche and Saulcy, 1856
Oxythyrea albopicta Motschulsky, 1845 (Cetonia)

Tribe TRICHIINI

Characteristics: procoxae projecting conically. Pronotum evenly convex or with weakly impressed midline or pre-discal impression. Mandibles either weakly or strongly sclerotized. Galea of maxilla usually penicillate. Protibia with 1-3 teeth. Dorsum uniformly dark brown or black or bicolored or with cretaceous spots or bands or metallic.

Until relatively recently, the Trichiines have been considered as a subfamily (frequently as a family in Europe). The tribe Trichiini consists of 43 genera that are found nearly worldwide except Australia and Madagascar. Eight genera are present in the Palearctic Region.

Genus Trichius Fabricius, 1775

Trichius orientalis Reitter, 1894

Tribe VALGINI

The species of the Valgini tribe are characterized by: body size small, generally less than 10 mm; antennas inserted in a distinct sinuosity on the sides of the headvisible from above; pronotum narrower than elytra and usually with 2 distinct, parallel, longitudinal ridges; posterior coxae widely separated; mesepimeron not visible in dorsal view; propygidium and pygidium exposed; protibia with 5 teeth. Only 2 genus of this tribe are observed in Levant:

The tribe Valgini consists of 33 genera found nearly worldwide. Eleven genera, are present in the Palaearctic Region and only 2 in the Levant.

Valgus hemipterus Linnaeus, 1758

Chromovalgus peyroni Mulsant and Wachanru, 1852 (Valgus)

- KRIKKEN, J. 1984. A new key to the suprageneric taxa in the beetle family Cetoniidae, with annotated lists of the known genera. Zoologische Verhandelingen No. 210: 1-75.
- SCHENKLING, S. 1921. Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae. Coleopterorum Catalogus 72: 1-431.
- BARAUD, J. 1985. Coleopteres Scarabaeoidea, Faune du Nord de l'Afrique du Maroc au Sinai. Encyclopedie Entomologique 46. Paris: Lechevalier, 651 + 1 pp.
- BARAUD, J. 1992. Coleopteres Scarabaeoidea d'Europe. Fauna de France 78. Lyon: Federation francaise des Societes de Sciences naturelles & Societe linneenne de Lyon, ix + 856 pp., xi pls.
- KRAJCIK, M. 1998. Cetoniidae of the World, Catalogue - Part I. (Coleoptera : Cetoniidae). Typos Studio Most, 96 pp.
- MEDVEDEV, S.I. 1964. Plastinchatousye (Scarabaeidae), posdem. Cetoniidae, Valginae, Fauna SSSR, zhestkokrylye, tom 10, vyp. 5. Moskva, Leningrad: Isdatel'stvo Akademii Nauk SSSR, 375 pp.
- MIKSIC, R., 1982. Monographie der Cetoniinae der palaarktischen und orientalischen Region. Coleoptera Lamellicornia. Band 3 Systematischer Teil: Cetoniini I. Teil. Sarajevo, 530 pp., 14 pls.
- SCHENKLING S. 1921. Coleopterorum Catalogus, 72: Scarabaeidae Cetoniinae. Junk, Belin, 431 pp.
- SMETANA A. (2006). Cetoniinae, pp. 283-313. In: Lobl I., Smetana A. (ed.), Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera, Vol. 3. Apollo Books, Stenstrup, 690 pp.