Mother-of-pearl and bronze. Green bronze large

Golden bronze (Cetonia aurata) is a beautiful large “metal beetle” that flies beautifully. It eats the core of flowers and feasts on the pulp of fruits.

Bronze in peony flower

Description of golden bronze

Golden bronze ( Cetonia aurata) - a representative of the order Coleoptera (beetles), family Lamellaridae x. It belongs to the genus Cetonia ("metal beetle"). Entomologists distinguish five main subspecies of golden bronze and a number of aberrations (variants with additional characteristics and deviations from the typical pattern). The body length of the golden bronze is up to 22.5 mm. Color: emerald green, metallic.

In fact, the beetle is black, but the thin and complex microstructures of its integument, which refract and decompose light, create a play of rays, and the beetle appears metallic green, blue and even copper-red. This coloration, in contrast to ordinary pigmentation, is called structural, or optical (V.S. Grebennikov “Secrets of the world of insects”).

Golden bronzes feed on flowers (wild and cultivated herbaceous plants, trees and shrubs). They gnaw leaves, young shoots and petals. Flower cores are a delicacy for these beetles. They do not disdain the juice and juicy pulp of ripe fruits.

The golden bronze may not be elegant enough, but it is superbly colored and shimmers with gold. Who has not seen this beetle, which looks like a large emerald, when it sits on a rosehip branch, standing out with its brilliant color against the delicate background of the petals! He sits motionless, day and night, enjoying the aroma of the flower, and at the same time having lunch. Only the too hot sun brings the beetle out of its stupor, and it flies away. Just by the appearance of this lazy creature, one can say that the bronze is a glutton (Jean-Henri Fabre “The Life of Insects. Stories of an Entomologist”).

On a warm sunny day, bronzebacks are especially active. They fly from place to place, sometimes during the flight they do not have time to go around a person and crash into him. As a result of such a collision, the beetle flops to the ground. Usually on the back. After much effort, he manages to roll over and stand up in his normal position. The golden bronze design is incredibly interesting. The mechanism of its functioning has been worked out in detail. Here's just one example:

... nature has patented something interesting in the beautiful bronze oval aircraft. The elytra of the bronze fly are almost not raised during flight, lying tightly in their place, on the back. And the strong, sonorous wings are exposed from the side; for this purpose, there is a special cutout on the elytra, characteristic only of bronze birds. And these fast, nimble beetles in flight, with good maneuverability, can compete with such first-class flyers as bumblebees (V.S. Grebennikov “Secrets of the World of Insects”).

Bronze larva

Large white larvae can be seen in a pile of humus. He is fat and well-fed. They are often mistaken for cockchafer larvae.

The larvae of the bronze fly eat continuously and turn dead leaves and stems, already destroyed by rotting, into powder. The veins would remain intact for a long time in the rotting leaves. The larva also eats these slowly rotting remains: with its strong jaws it splits them into fibers and then gnaws them. In her intestines they turn into dough, quite suitable for fertilizing the soil. One of the most active producers of black soil is the bronze larva (Jean-Henri Fabre “The Life of Insects. Stories of an Entomologist”).

Interestingly, larvae planted in a jar with rotting plant debris continue to exist perfectly in captivity. They become the object of observation:

And the larvae lived for a long time in a jar of dust and sometimes showed my guests an original attraction: they rode around the table... on their backs. Don't be surprised: back riding is the only possible way the movements of these creatures, heavy, thick, very similar to the larvae of May beetles, but “offended by God” in relation to their legs, thin, short and weak. The poor fellows, who find themselves outside the underground abode, in the open space, have no choice but to move through energetic contractions of the body; It turned out that it is more convenient to do this while lying upside down until you manage to crawl to the shelter and return to your dungeon (V.S. Grebennikov “Secrets of the World of Insects”).

It is curious that the larvae of the bronze fly feel great not only in a pile of humus, but also in an anthill. Many wild animals know this, such as badgers and foxes. In search of food, they tear apart forest anthills and then devour the delicious fat larvae of the bronze beetle hibernating there.

Bronzovka as a pest

Flower growers do not like bronze beetles, since for them these beetles are deservedly a pest. I am annoyed when a blooming white lilac loses its luxurious inflorescences in just a couple of days. It is she who attracts the attention of large green beetles. They suck out all the juices from the flowers, leaving behind brown spots on the inflorescences. I got the impression that bronzes are especially attracted to the white color. This conclusion can be made if you look at lilac bushes of other colors growing nearby, compare rose hips (white and pink-raspberry) and peonies (very different). Of course, the adorable, voracious beetles are not limited to white or very light flowers, but they are happy to savor them first of all.

Bronzovkas did not appear on our site right away. They had nothing to do in the village in which they had not yet grown up blooming gardens. At some point, there were a lot of these emerald beetles. They have turned into a pest. I know quite a few places in the Moscow region where there are practically no golden bronzes. Whether it’s a coincidence or not, they are well aware of the cockchafer, which is not found here.

The golden bronze flies perfectly, so there is no point in destroying it with the help of “chemistry”. Everyone has different methods of destroying bronzes. Some plot owners crush the beetles with their feet, others collect them and drown them in jars of water. Golden bronzewits fly into open windows and the doors of terraces and balconies fall with a crash onto the windowsill or onto the floor. The beetles quickly come to their senses and try the taste indoor plants. The other day I removed the bronze from an orchid (phalaenopsis) flower. Even here, the gourmet beetle did not change its taste preferences. He chose a phalaenopsis with white flowers! IN last years Alarming information is increasingly appearing in the media that bronzes are willingly switching to ripe fruits, which, of course, does not please gardeners.

Bronzovka in the Red Book of the Moscow Region

Fiber's bronze, or brilliant ( Protaetia fieberi), which differs from the golden bronze by “a smooth, shiny, raised periosteal area of the elytra and a wide process of the mesothorax between the middle pair of legs.” It is clear that only an entomologist can determine the difference between these species. The golden-green (copper-red or light bronze) beetle most often lives in broad-leaved forests. Especially in oak ones. It feeds on tree sap and flowers. Its larvae live (and overwinter) in rotten wood of oak, poplar, willow and other deciduous trees. In the Moscow region, Fiber's bronze has become a very rare species: “The highest numbers are near the r.p. Boloomut, where you can observe 3 - 4 individuals per field season. To date, it has not been found in similar biotopes in Ozersky and Serebryano-Prudsky districts.” The brilliant bronze can be found in one of the reserves of the Serpukhov region and in the southeast of the region.

In addition to the golden bronzer, the smooth bronzer is included in the Red Book of the Moscow Region ( Protaetia aeruginosa) and marble bronze ( Protaetia marmorata).

I feel uneasy at the thought that the population of the pretty golden bronze, worst enemy flower growers, also has a clear tendency to decrease. “Irresponsible” gardeners (including me) are confidently approaching the day when this beetle will be listed in the Red Book.

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Many have seen a metallic-colored beetle flying through the air. Bright, shiny, it is like a small helicopter, conquering peaks, crashing into a person and falling on its back. What kind of creature is shining so brightly in the sun? This is a bronze beetle. How this insect lives, reproduces, what it eats, and what harm it can cause, you will learn from this article.

The bronze beetle is a fairly large insect, measuring 23 mm in length. The color is very diverse and depends on the species. This beetle has 7 subspecies, which have numerous aberrations. The bronze beetle is often confused with the cockchafer, because they belong to the same family. These insects can be distinguished by their brighter bronze color. Also, in flight, bronze birds leave their rigid elytra folded, and release their thin wings through holes located on the sides.

The golden bronze can be found throughout Eurasia, with the exception of mountain and desert areas. Bronzewort feeds on flowers of wild and cultivated plants, as well as inflorescences fruit trees.

Appearance

The body size of the bronzer reaches 13–22 mm in length and 8–11 mm in width. The body of the insect is presented in the form of an oblong oval shape, slightly convex. In some species the body tapers at the rear. In most individuals, the upper part of the body is covered with hairs, less often this area is bare.

The color of the upper body is bright green or golden-green with a hint of red, but always with a metallic tint. Interesting fact is that the insect is actually black. But thanks to the finest and complex microstructures of the body cover, which refract light, the beetle appears to have such an unusual color. This type of coloring is called optical pigmentation.

The antennae of the beetle are black. The clypeus of the insect is elongated and covered with numerous dots large size. In the front part, the corners of the clypeus are rounded and slightly raised. In the center of the clypeus there is a triangular-rounded recess. The beetle's head is covered with denser and deeper spots than on the clypeus, as well as with white hair. In the center of the head there is a keel in the longitudinal direction.

The pronotum of the bronze is wider at the base, and then narrows closer to the anterior part. The disk in the middle is covered with numerous, rounded small dots. The sides are covered with larger dots.

The elytra have coverings in the form of numerous large dots. You can also see thin transverse stripes on the elytra. irregular shape white. The back of the insect is slightly convex with 2, sometimes 4 small white dots. The legs are covered with dots, wrinkles and longitudinal stripes.

general characteristics

All species are characterized by certain characteristics:

Bronze beetles begin to fly from late May to early June. They make their flights within 3–4 months;
Bronzers reach their greatest activity during the hottest part of the day. At night, the beetles hide in the soil. In cloudy weather, the beetle does not come out of its shelters in the form of leaves and plant roots;
All bronzes feed on ovaries and young fruits, plant flowers, as well as the sap that trees secrete.

Bronze beetle reproduction and life cycle

To reproduce, the female golden bronze lays 15–20 eggs, which are white-yellow in color. Such eggs can be found in rotten stumps, trunks of rotting plants, and also in manure. From the moment the eggs appear until the larvae hatch and become a beetle, a whole year passes. In northern regions, this process can take up to 2 years.

The hatched larva feeds on fallen leaves, rotten wood, and dead roots of plants and trees. The bronze larva in appearance has a curved yellow-white body with short legs. The body of the bronze larva is large and thick, covered with hairs. At the same time, the back is thicker than the front. The larva of the bronze molts 2 times. Mature larvae measure up to 6 cm.

Then the larva pupates. The formed pupa lies on its back in a strong oval-shaped cocoon. The bronze larva constructs its cocoon from soil, its own feces and wood, gluing all the parts together with the help of a special substance secreted from the back of the body. In appearance, the pupa resembles an adult beetle. The future beetle remains in this state for 2 weeks.

Description of popular types

The most common:

golden bronze. The size of such a beetle is 13–23 mm. It has a golden-green color that has a metallic sheen. Habitat is the territory from the south of Scandinavia to the Balkans, as well as Asia, Tajikistan, the coasts Mediterranean Sea;
shaggy bronze. This beetle grows up to 8–13 mm. The body is colored shiny black and covered with numerous gray and yellow hairs;
small green bronze. The size does not exceed 20 mm. The body has a green color with a golden tint;
shiny bronze. This species has become popular due to the fact that it is listed in the Red Book of the Moscow Region. In appearance, shiny bronze resembles golden. Only an entomologist can distinguish them. This beetle is golden-green, copper-red or light bronze in color. The insect can be found in forests with broad-leaved trees, especially oaks. The beetle feeds on the sap of trees and flowers.

Beetle wrecking

Despite their beautiful appearance, these insects recognized as pests. The insect is a frequent visitor to the garden and vegetable garden, destroying flowers fruit and berry crops, sucking out the juices and nutrients from plants. The beetle also gnaws leaves, leaving behind yellowed areas of plants. If an insect flies into the house, indoor flowers will suffer because the green beetle will gnaw on their leaves.

Bronzeweed harms the following plants:

ovaries of carrots, cabbage, corn. Bronzeweed destroys those parts of plants that contain seeds;
flowers of fruit trees. In this case, the beetles completely eat the stamens and pistils, after which the flower is unsuitable for fertilization. Therefore, fruits and seeds will not ripen on such a tree or bush plant;
the insect destroys beet leaves;
ornamental plants After eating, bronzes lose their beautiful appearance and aroma.

Previously, it was believed that this type of insect did not cause much harm to trees and plants, so accurate There are no instructions for killing beetles. Adult beetles cause damage to plants, but the fight should begin with their larvae.

The habitat of the larvae is rotten wood and a lot of humus. Therefore, if you periodically clear your area of old leaves and rotten wood, you can reduce the number of adult individuals in the future. On the other hand, the bronze larvae contribute to the formation of a fertile soil layer by working through plant residues.

Fighting methods

The bronze beetle flies well, so chemical treatment will only harm trees and other plants.

Manual method- by collecting and shaking off beetles. This method is the safest for the plant. To make it easier to shake off the bronze, you can spray the plant or tree in advance cold water. This water will stun the insects and they will easily fall off the plants. After the beetles have fallen, they must be placed in a container with kerosene. This method of control is low in effectiveness, because new ones will fly in to replace the destroyed beetles.
Effective method insect control is use of light traps, which are used at night. Making such a trap is not difficult. For this, take an ordinary glass container. Then you need to place a lamp there. A container of kerosene should be placed near the light trap. At night, the bronze will fly towards the light, hitting the jar and falling into a container with kerosene.
Method of spraying plants with herbal infusions. Bronzeworts cannot tolerate the smell of wormwood, garlic, horseradish and onions. Therefore, you can spray the plant using tinctures of these vegetables and herbs.
Soil plowing method. After winter period you should dig up the soil, thereby destroying the beetles that are there.
Method of instilling anti-bug remedy. The beetle's sleeping place is the soil, so buried poison under fruit trees will definitely have an effect on it. However, such a chemical will not harm beneficial insects that pollinate flowers.
Another method is attracting birds to the garden that feed on this type of beetle.

All of the above methods will help get rid of golden bronze. But it should be remembered that the green beetle is endangered, therefore it is necessary to fight it only in extreme cases.

Greater green bronzebird Cetonischema aeruginosa (Drury, 1770) Order Coleoptera Coleoptera Family Bronzebirds Cetoniidae

Status in Russia and adjacent regions. Listed in . Protected in the Belgorod, Volgograd, Lipetsk, Rostov and Saratov regions.

Spreading.

The European part of Russia from the forest zone to the northern steppe, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Europe (except the north), Asia Minor. In the Voronezh region. known from Novousmansky, Verkhnekhavasky, Ostrogozhsky, Borisoglebsky districts and Voronezh.

Description.

Dimensions 2329 mm. The top is metallic-shiny, golden-green, sometimes with a copper tint. The lateral margin of the pronotum is completely carinated. The process of the mesothorax is naked. Elytra without longitudinal impressions.

Features of biology and ecology.

It is produced in old deciduous trees (willow, pear, oak, etc.). Mainly stays in tree crowns. It feeds on flowing juice and fruits.

Number and trends of its change. At all points it is represented by single specimens.

Limiting factors. Cutting down old trees.

Accepted and necessary measures security It is necessary to preserve plantings of old trees and create protected areas in the habitats of the species.

Information sources: Skufin, 1978; Yemets, 1978, 1980; Negrobov S. O., 1998a, 2000b; Cadastre... 2005. Compiled by: S. O. Negrobov, E. E. Bilomar; scanography: S. O. Negrobov.

This insect, widespread in Europe, is often mistaken for the May beetle. It is difficult to say what caused this misconception. Golden bronze and Khrushchev (which belong to the same family, have a similar structure and lead approximately the same way of life, however, it is quite easy to distinguish one insect from another. Khrushchev look more “modest”, since they do not have the bright metallic sheen characteristic of bronze insects The color of their elytra is brown or reddish-brown, with whitish speckles. The chafer beetle is larger than the bronze beetle, its length reaches 3 cm. In addition, its body is more elongated and abundantly covered with hairs (except for the elytra). Unlike the bronze beetle, the chafer beetle recognized as an agricultural pest.

Golden bronze: classification and habitat

Bronze beetles belong to the Lamellar beetles (Scarab-like) family and the order Cetonea (“metallic” beetles). Their closest relatives are beetles, scarabs, copra, rhinoceros beetles and stag beetles. The largest representative of the family is the goliath beetle, whose weight is about 100 g. The common bronze beetle, along with the copper beetle, is one of the most numerous species. It is found in all regions of Europe (except for some areas of Portugal and Spain), in Crimea, Eastern Siberia, Transcaucasia and some countries Bronzovka feels comfortable only in a relatively humid climate, so these beetles do not live in deserts. Some species of these insects (in particular, the beautiful and smooth one) are listed in the Red Book, but the golden bronze insect is not yet in danger of extinction.

Even in regions with unfavorable environmental situation The population of the common bronze is not declining.

Its exotic relatives prefer tropical climates. There are especially many of them in India and Africa.

What does golden bronze look like?

The length of the body of this beetle is from one and a half to two centimeters, the width is up to 1.4 cm. From below it has a golden-bronze, brownish color. Numerous variations are possible for the elytra, from the most common emerald green to reddish, purple, bright blue or even black. Main hallmark golden bronze - bright metallic (mostly copper) shine. The elytra are decorated with several light transverse stripes. Compared to the cockchafer, the bronze beetle looks smoother and less “woolly.” Another one interesting feature manifested in its movement: this beetle does not raise its elytra. To take off, it extends its folded wings through special side slits. This trick improves the aerodynamic characteristics of the insect, making its flight more maneuverable. As you can see for yourself, the picture below shows the characteristically colored Golden Bronzewing (photo in flight).

Stages of development

Bronzewort, like all insects, undergoes several metamorphoses during its life: a larva develops from an egg, a pupa from a larva, and from it an adult. The entire cycle takes about two to three years, and the beetle lives no more than a year. Female bronzebirds lay eggs in the summer, at the end of June or July, and die after some time. After a few weeks, the larvae hatch. They are thick, white or reach 6 cm in length. The larvae actively feed on cellulose and organic matter (weed roots, rotting plant remains, bark, hay, manure, mushrooms), and enrich the soil with digested food. Due to the gluttony of the larvae, this process occurs very quickly. The golden bronze does not touch living ones (being in the larval stage).

The larvae overwinter, burrowing into the ground. The following summer they turn into pupae. To do this, the larvae use short legs They form a cocoon around themselves from the sticky secretion they secrete. At the end of summer, an adult beetle emerges from the cocoon. Males differ from females only in size: they are larger; in general, bronzefishes are not developed. The beetle's activity lasts from late spring to mid-summer.

Lifestyle

The bronze insect lives in forests, gardens, parks, meadows and vegetable gardens. Females lay eggs in compost and manure heaps, rotten stumps, and hollows of dead trees. Both larvae and adults overwinter in approximately the same places. It is important to note that broncos prefer hardwood; They are not attracted to rotten spruce and pine trees.

Beetles are active during the day, especially if the weather is dry and sunny.

Nutrition

Bronze larvae are beneficial: by recycling rotting wood, weed roots and organic remains, they contribute to the formation of a fertile soil layer, which has a positive effect on the condition of the latter.

But oral apparatus adult beetles are not adapted to absorb rough food. The golden bronze, the photo of which is located below, feeds on plant flowers (stamens, pistils and ovaries).

Young leaves and fruits also suffer from bronzes. Beetles do not disdain tree sap either. Unfortunately, bronze beetles love ornamental plants: roses (which is why they are even called “pink bugs”), peonies, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, as well as flowers (cherry, apple trees). They are interested in any field, meadow or ornamental plants with sweet juice.

Gardeners do not like bronze flowers because they have unsightly eaten flowers and “skeletonized” leaves.

Bronzovka in the garden

However, golden bronze is not recognized harmful insects. Its larvae are definitely useful, the pupae are harmless, and the damage from adult beetles is insignificant. Experts say that bronzes do not affect productivity fruit trees. In addition, unlike larvae, adult beetles are not voracious and cannot cause much harm. Therefore, the fight against bronzes (by manual collection or using chemicals) does not make sense in most cases.

"Bronzovka"- this is a word from childhood. I remember shooting down those heavy, hulking green planes as they rushed past with a low hum. They fell to the ground, slowly pulling their wings under their elytra. Catching a bronzeback always brought joy. The large golden-green beetle swarmed in the fist, tickling the palm with strong jagged paws, and, left to its own devices, found a launch pad, spread its wings and, starting a low-speed engine, soared upward, continuing its clumsy flight.

These are such nostalgic memories. However, the bronzes have not gone away: to this day, no, no, and a characteristic low hum can be heard nearby. I still can’t resist catching a beetle on occasion and holding it in my hands. Still, they're funny. Especially these tiny antennae, topped with either eyes or claws, which, in case of danger, instantly retract under the chitinous shield:

Golden or common bronzeweed (Cetonia aurata)

A bit of officialdom. Golden bronze - representative order Coleoptera or beetles (Coleoptera), family lamellaridae (Scarabaeidae), genus Cetonia(other Greek "metal beetle").

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Within the genus Cetonia there is great amount species living in various places on the planet, mostly in Africa. Within the species, the golden bronze is divided into five subspecies, within the subspecies - into many aberrations, differing in color and the presence or absence of hairs.

After reading the description on Wikipedia appearance bronzes I ran into a bunch interesting words, such as clypeus, pronotum and pygidium. The description there takes up about a screen page and evokes approximately the same thoughts as the description of complex smells - all the words seem to be familiar, but still nothing is clear. So, I'll keep it short. Here she is:

Nutrition. Bronzovka is an extremely peaceful and herbivorous creature. Loves flowers (including flowers of cultivated plants). However, in most cases, harm to Agriculture has no idea. In addition to flowers, it eats young leaves of some plants, fruits, and tree sap. Large clusters of beetles can form where the sap comes out.

Recently, for the first time in my life, I caught a bronze bird not in flight, but eating. The picture is quite funny. In some ways, her actions reminded me of a cross between a trimmer and a harvester from the Dune II toy:

Sexual dimorphism in the golden bronzer it is weakly expressed. The male is larger than the female.

Reproduction. The female lays eggs in rotten stumps, dung heaps or anthills. The larva can reach an impressive size of 4-5 cm. It looks something like this:

In the photo it is unlikely that it is a bronze beetle larva, but the beetle larvae are more or less similar to each other, unlike.

The larva builds itself a cocoon from scrap materials, holding them together with a sticky secretion. Inside the cocoon, the transformation occurs into a pupa, and then into an adult beetle. The development cycle from egg to adult insect takes 2-3 years.

It is possible to keep the bronze beetle in captivity, and not only the adult beetles and their behavior are of interest to the observer, but also the larvae. Considering that all our species of insects are configured to wait out the winter and enter diapause, the southern species of bronzefish, in which life is in full swing all year round, are better suited as a pet.

P.S.: Today I discovered that some people don’t know who the bronzeback is and call it. So, what is shown in the photo is ! He looks completely different, although he also belongs to the family Lamellaridae.