Eurasian bee beetle (Trichius fasciatus)

ThEurasian Bee Beetle (Trichius fasciatus)

Family: Scarabaeidae
Subfamily: Cetoniinae (Flower chafers)
Common names: Bee beetle, Eurasian bee beetle, Bumblebee mimic beetle

🐞 Identification

• Size: 8–14 mm long
• Shape: Oval, compact body with dense yellowish or orange hair, giving it a bee-like appearance
• Coloration:
  • Elytra (wing covers): Yellow or pale with three black transverse bands — resembling a bumblebee’s pattern
  • Thorax and head: Black, often with dense yellowish hairs
  • Legs: Black and robust

This is a classic example of Batesian mimicry—a harmless beetle mimicking a stinging insect to avoid predators.

🌸 Habitat

• Flower-rich meadows, woodland edges, clearings, and alpine pastures
• Especially common in mountainous and hilly regions up to 2000 m elevation
• Often seen resting or feeding on flowers, especially thistles, roses, hawthorns, and umbellifers

🌼 Diet

• Adults:
  • Feed on pollen and nectar
  • Often found on open, composite flowers in full sun
• Larvae:
  • Develop in rotting wood (especially deciduous trees like beech and birch)
  • Feed on decayed wood and organic matter

🔁 Life Cycle

• Eggs laid in decaying wood or tree stumps
• Larvae: White, C-shaped grubs that live in rotting wood for 1–2 years
• Pupation: In the wood
• Adults: Emerge in late spring to mid-summer (typically May to July)

🌍 Distribution

• Found throughout central and northern Europe, including:
  • Scandinavia
  • The Baltic region
  • Central Europe (Germany, Poland, Czechia, etc.)
  • Alpine regions
• Prefers cooler climates and flower-rich forested areas

🧬 Ecological Role

• Pollinator: While visiting flowers, adults help with pollination
• Decomposer: Larvae aid in wood decay, contributing to forest nutrient cycling

🛡️ Conservation Status

• Not globally threatened, but reliant on:
  • Old-growth woodland with decaying wood
  • Wildflower diversity for adult foraging

Loss of these habitats through modern forestry or meadow degradation can affect local populations.

✅ Fun Facts

• Its fuzzy body and banded elytra cause it to be mistaken for a bumblebee at a glance.
• Males can be identified by the larger, brushy front legs used during mating.

The Eurasian Bee Beetle (Trichius fasciatus) is not just a visual delight but also a valuable pollinator and decomposer, thriving at the intersection of flower-filled meadows and mature woodlands.

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