Rose chafer

Rose chafer

We are delighted that Dr Maria Hohn-Berghorn and Dr Gregor Berghorn have taken on the sponsorship of the rose chafer(Mecynorrhina oberthuri).

The species, named after the French amateur entomologist Charles Oberthür, owes its genus name to the large horn on its head (from the Greek; "rhino-": nose), which is only pronounced in the males. In their homeland, they are nicknamed "The Pearl of Tanzania".
This horn is not the only weapon with which the males can assert themselves in the fight for food and against conspecifics: They also carry sickle-shaped, outward-pointing "daggers" on their front legs.
The colour pattern of the adults varies from plain to black with orange spots. The larvae are cannibalistic, especially in the early stages of development.
This subspecies of rose chafer beetles, which belong to the Scarabaeidae family, is found exclusively in the rainforests of Tanzania and southern Kenya.