Trichius fasciatus

Trichius fasciatus, the Eurasian bee beetle, is a beetle species belonging to the family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Cetoniinae.

Varieties
Varieties include:
 * Trichius fasciatus var. dubius  Mulsant
 * Trichius fasciatus var. interruptus Mulsant

Distribution and habitat
This beetle is present in most of Europe and in the eastern Palearctic realm.

It is often found in forest clearings in mountainous areas, but rarely in the lowlands. It lives mostly on flowers on forest meadows and forest edges.

Description
Trichius fasciatus can reach a length of 9 - 12 mm. Head and pronotum are black, while the elytrae vary from light yellow to deep orange. They are crossed by a few black bands. The first black band reaches the scutellum.The sides of the chest and the back of the abdomen are covered with a yellow-orange or white pubescence. This makes it look a bit like a Bumblebee, giving it better protection from predators. Hence the popular name of "Bee beetle" for their genus.

In this species males and females can be easily distinguished based on the front legs. In the female (Encl. 3) the outer teeth are strong, typical for the digging legs. The first tarsus is small and protrudes only slightly from the tip of the terminal tooth. Moreover in the females the pygidium does not end rounded, but clearly indented (Encl. 4). In the male (Encl. 2) the digging teeth are weaker. The 1st segment of the tarsus clearly protrudes beyond the end tooth and is bulbously thickened on the outside. There is a strong transverse ridge about halfway up the mesotibia, which ends in a tooth (Encl. 1).

Biology
Adults can be encountered from May through July feeding on pollen of various flowering plants. These include Apiaceae, Rosaceae, Thymus, Thistles and. Blackberry. The larvae feed mainly on dead wood and other organic parts of various deciduous trees.