Philoserica

Philoserica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Scarabaeiformia
Family:	Scarabaeidae
Subfamily:	Sericinae
Tribe:	Sericini
Genus:	Philoserica ; Brenske, 1898
Species:	P. vittata
Binomial name
	Philoserica vittata; (Blanchard, 1850)
Synonyms
	Omaloplia (Brachyphylla) vittataBlanchard, 1850; Homaloplia pauperWallengren, 1881;

Last updated February 19, 2026

Philoserica is a genus of beetle of the family Scarabaeidae.^[1] It is monotypic, being represented by the single species, Philoserica vittata, which is found in South Africa (Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West, KwaZulu-Natal, Amazulu, Gariep) and Zimbabwe.^[2]

Description

Adults reach a length of about 6.5-7.5 mm. They are black, with the head and prothorax sub-opaque, and yet very faintly iridescent. The scutellum is black and the elytra are strongly iridescent, pale testaceous, with the suture, the outer margin, and three stripes on each side black. The pedicel of the antennae is reddish, while the club is black. The colour of the elytra varies much, the black stripes and outer margins disappear occasionally, or the black tinge has invaded the whole surface which is then very iridescent.^[3]

References

↑ BioLib
↑ Schoolmeesters, P. (2025). "Philoserica vittata at Catalogue of Life". World Scarabaeidae Database (version 2025-10-07). In O. Bánki, Y. Roskov, M. Döring, G. Ower, D. R. Hernández Robles, C. A. Plata Corredor, T. Stjernegaard Jeppesen, A. Örn, T. Pape, D. Hobern, S. Garnett, H. Little, R. E. DeWalt, J. Miller, T. Orrell, & R. Aalbu, Catalogue of Life (2025-10-10 XR). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Catalogue of Life Foundation. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
↑ Péringuey, L. (1904). "Descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa (Lucanidae and Scarabaeidae)" (PDF). Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 13 (1): 1–293. Retrieved January 7, 2026.

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[1] BioLib

[:1-2] Schoolmeesters, P. (2025). "Philoserica vittata at Catalogue of Life". World Scarabaeidae Database (version 2025-10-07). In O. Bánki, Y. Roskov, M. Döring, G. Ower, D. R. Hernández Robles, C. A. Plata Corredor, T. Stjernegaard Jeppesen, A. Örn, T. Pape, D. Hobern, S. Garnett, H. Little, R. E. DeWalt, J. Miller, T. Orrell, & R. Aalbu, Catalogue of Life (2025-10-10 XR). Amsterdam, Netherlands: Catalogue of Life Foundation. Retrieved January 7, 2026.

[:2-3] Péringuey, L. (1904). "Descriptive catalogue of the Coleoptera of South Africa (Lucanidae and Scarabaeidae)" (PDF). Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 13 (1): 1–293. Retrieved January 7, 2026.

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