Find the Umtali flower beetle in the Great Vivarium.
It’s distinguished by its beautiful metallic colors of blue-purple,
green and pearl, or by its colorful borders.
Belonging to the Coleoptera order, the Umtali flower beetle is found in the rainforests of Central Africa from Uganda to Zimbabwe. It’s poorly documented to this point, and observation of its behavior at the Insectarium will advance research on the subject. If you’re lucky enough to have a flower beetle land on your hand, it’ll feel very much like a ladybug’s feet.
French name: Cétoine d’Umtali
Latin name: Chlorocala smaragdina umtalensis
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Scarabaeidae
Lifespan: The Umtali flower beetle lives from 2 to 3 months as a larva, less than a month as a nymph, and between 3 and 4 months as an adult.
Diet: The Umtali flower beetle feeds for the most part on decomposing plant matter at the larval stage, and as an adult it consumes nectar, fruit and sap.
Ecological role: In addition to being part of the food chain, the flower beetle has a role as a decomposer and a pollinator.