# French Flower Chafer (*Trichius gallicus*) The French Flower Chafer is a colorful beetle that loves to visit flowers. With its bright yellow and black stripes, it looks like a little piece of sunshine buzzing around gardens! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Gardens ![French Flower Chafer](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Trichius_gallicus_on_Rosa_canina.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Trichius_gallicus_on_Rosa_canina.jpg) ## Appearance The French Flower Chafer is a fuzzy, black beetle with striking bright yellow or orange bands across its abdomen. Its hairy body and markings give it a bee-like appearance, making it visually distinct from other chafers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Scarabaeidae - **Genus:** Trichius ## Interesting facts - Before becoming an adult, it lives as a grub inside old, decaying wood. - Despite looking like a bumblebee, it's actually a type of scarab beetle! - Its scientific name, \*Trichius\*, means 'hairy,' describing its fuzzy body! - Some people call these furry beetles 'tumble bugs' because they sometimes fall. ## Special abilities - **Buzzing Disguise:** French Flower Chafer has fuzzy, striped markings that make it look like a bee, helping it avoid predators. - **Flower Power:** French Flower Chafer can carry pollen on its hairy body because that helps pollinate plants as it feeds on nectar. - **Armored Shell:** French Flower Chafer has a strong, hard exoskeleton that protects its soft body from bumps and bites. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 20-35 mm - **Size:** 9-16 mm - **Lifespan:** 30-60 days - **Flight Speed:** 7 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Adults drink nectar and eat pollen from flowers, while larvae munch on decaying wood. - **Age differences:** Larvae consume decaying wood, while adults feed on nectar and pollen. - **Primary Foods:** nectar, pollen, thistle flowers - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** [Creeping Thistle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/creeping-thistle) (*Cirsium arvense*) — Transfers pollen while feeding on thistle flowers. - **Eaten by:** [Great Tit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-tit) (*Parus major*) — Predated by various insectivorous birds. - **Depends on:** Pedunculate Oak (*Quercus robur*) — Larvae develop in decaying wood of oak trees. ## Traits - [Striped](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/striped): Marked with parallel bands or lines of color. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Be gentle and watch from a distance; they are friendly little bugs! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify French Flower Chafer? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is French Flower Chafer's wingspan? 20-35 mm ### How big is French Flower Chafer? 9-16 mm ### How long does French Flower Chafer live? 30-60 days ### How fast can French Flower Chafer fly? 7 km/h ### What does French Flower Chafer eat? Adults drink nectar and eat pollen from flowers, while larvae munch on decaying wood. ### Where is French Flower Chafer usually found? Gardens ### How does French Flower Chafer hunt? Foraging ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [French Flower Chafer: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/french-flower-chafer)