Eastern Hercules Flower Beetle vs Yellow-shouldered Christmas Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Eastern Hercules Flower Beetle Yellow-shouldered Christmas Beetle
Scientific Name Mecynorrhina polyphemus Anoplognathus chloropyrus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Scarabaeidae
Size 40-80 mm 16-22 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Sap Feeders Root Feeders
Regions West and Central Africa Australia, Oceania
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Eastern Hercules Flower Beetle

A large African flower beetle with variable coloration from green to brown. Males have a short forked horn on the head.

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Did You Know?

Named after the cyclops Polyphemus due to the single horn on the male's head resembling a central eye.

Yellow-shouldered Christmas Beetle

A medium-sized Christmas beetle recognisable by its yellowish-green pronotum contrasting with darker brown elytra. It is widespread in eastern Australian eucalyptus forests.

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Did You Know?

Like other Christmas beetles, the larvae spend up to two years underground before emerging as adults in summer.