Pachnoda marginata 'Sun Beetle'

Pachnoda marginata is a flower chafer beetle (Order Coleoptera, Family Scarabaeidae, Subfamily Cetoniinae) from West and Central Africa. In the wild they visit flowers and feed on pollen, nectar, and ripe fruit. Adults are bright yellow with bold black or dark brown markings across the elytra and pronotum, and they have a glossy, almost lacquered finish. They typically reach 20-25mm in length. Both sexes look similar, though males tend to be slightly narrower.

These are diurnal beetles, active and visible during the day, which makes them far more interesting to watch than many nocturnal species. They fly readily and with enthusiasm, so expect to see them buzzing around the enclosure when temperatures are warm enough. In the hobby they're often called sun beetles, and for good reason.

Like all beetles, P. marginata undergoes holometabolous (complete) metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult. The entire cycle from egg to adult takes roughly 6-9 months. The adult stage is the shortest part, typically lasting 3-6 months. During that time they feed, mate, and lay eggs before dying of old age. If you provide the right conditions, a single group of adults can produce the next generation with very little effort on your part.

Enclosure. A well-ventilated plastic or glass container around 40x30x30cm works well for a small group of 4-6 adults. The lid must be secure because these beetles fly, and they will escape through any gap. Provide pieces of cork bark and branches for climbing and resting. A few centimetres of organic topsoil mixed with leaf litter makes a good substrate base. If you want females to lay eggs in the same enclosure, increase the substrate depth to 10-15cm using fermented hardwood flake soil so emerging larvae have something suitable to feed on.

Temperature and humidity. Keep them at 22-28°C. Room temperature in a warm house is often fine, but a heat mat on a thermostat can help in colder months. Place heating below or to the side, not above. Aim for 60-70% humidity. A light mist every day or two is usually enough. Adults drink water droplets from misted surfaces, so this also covers hydration. Good ventilation matters just as much as humidity; stagnant, damp air causes mould.

Feeding. Adults eat ripe and overripe fruit: banana, apple, mango, peach, and similar. Beetle jelly is a clean, convenient alternative and widely available. You can offer both. Replace fresh fruit every 1-2 days before it goes mouldy. They're drawn to fermenting sugars, so slightly past-it fruit is ideal. Flower petals (rose, dandelion, hibiscus) are also taken. Don't feed citrus.

Breeding. Breeding happens almost on its own at 24-26°C if you provide a moist substrate of fermented hardwood flake soil at least 15cm deep. Females burrow down to lay eggs a few centimetres below the surface. Eggs hatch within 2-4 weeks. A single female can produce 20-40 eggs over her lifetime.

Common issues. Fruit flies and grain mites appear if uneaten food is left too long. Remove old food promptly and keep the enclosure clean. Escaped beetles are the other common problem, so double-check your lid. If adults seem lethargic, check your temperature first.

For a full walkthrough, read our Pachnoda marginata care guide.

Adult sun beetles are packed individually in ventilated containers with a piece of damp moss to maintain humidity during transit. We ship via tracked next-day delivery, Monday to Wednesday only, to avoid parcels sitting in depots over weekends.

In cold weather (below 5°C), we add a heat pack to the outer box. In extreme heat we may delay dispatch and will contact you if so.

When your beetle arrives, open the container in a warm room and transfer the beetle to its enclosure. Give it a piece of fruit or beetle jelly and leave it alone for a few hours to settle in. Some beetles play dead for a while after the stress of transit. This is normal.

All live orders are covered by our live arrival guarantee.