About the Eurasian Bee Beetle
Trichius fasciatus, the Eurasian bee beetle, is a beetle species belonging to the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae. Varieties include: Trichius fasciatus var. dubius Mulsant Trichius fasciatus var. interruptus Mulsant
This beetle is present in most of Europe and in the eastern Palearctic realm. It is often found in forest clearings in mountainous areas, but rarely in the lowlands. It lives mostly on flowers on forest meadows and forest edges.
Trichius fasciatus can reach a length of 9–12 millimetres (0.35–0.47 in). Head and pronotum are black, while the elytrae vary from light yellow to deep orange. They are crossed by a few black bands. The first black band reaches the scutellum.The sides of the chest and the back of the abdomen are covered with a yellow-orange or white pubescence. This makes it look a bit like a Bumblebee, giving it better protection from predators. Hence the popular name of "Bee beetle" for their genus.
In this species males and females can be easily distinguished based on the front legs. In the female (Encl. 3) the outer teeth are strong, typical for the digging legs. The first tarsus... Wikipedia →