Serica alternata

Serica alternata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Suborder:	Polyphaga
Infraorder:	Scarabaeiformia
Family:	Scarabaeidae
Genus:	Serica
Species:	S. alternata
Binomial name
Serica alternata LeConte, 1856
Synonyms
Paramaladera alternata

Serica alternata is a species of beetle of the family Scarabaeidae. ^[1] It is found in the United States (California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah) and Mexico (Baja California). ^{[2] [3]}

Description

Adults reach a length of about 7-9.5 mm. The colour is dark chestnut and the surface is sub-shining with the elytra moderately iridescent. ^[3]

Subspecies

• Serica alternata alternata (California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Baja California)
• Serica alternata exolitaDawson, 1933 (California)
• Serica alternata patruelaDawson, 1933 (California)

Life history

Adults have been recorded feeding on the foliage of Prunus virginiana , as well as Quercus agrifolia , the flowers of Heteromeles arbutifolia , Ceanothus palmeri , Rhus trilobata , Abies concolor , Sambucus mexicana and Eriogonum fasciculatum . ^[4]

References

1. BioLib
2. Schoolmeesters, P. (2025). "Serica (Serica) alternata 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 December 22, 2025.
3. Dawson, R. W. (1933). "New species of Serica (Scarabaeidae), VII" (PDF). Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 41: 435–440. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
4. McPeak, Ron H.; Oberbauer, Thomas A. (2004). "New Host Plant Associations for Adult Serica and Diplotaxis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) from California" (PDF). The Coleopterists Bulletin. 58 (1): 139–142. Retrieved December 24, 2025.