A Reassessment of the Genus Trichius Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) in Romania

The genus Trichius Fabricius, 1775 comprises Palearctic beetles well known for variability and the peculiar inconsistency of the species Trichius gallicus Dejean, 1821. This study reveals that Trichius species have been misidentified in the past in Romania. We re-examined 1,310 specimens from museum collections and private collections. This comprehensive analysis shows that only two Trichius species, Trichius fasciatus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Trichius sexualis Bedel, 1906, are present in Romania. Thirteen specimens previously identified as Trichius abdominalis Ménétriés, 1832 were re-identified as being two specimens of T. fasciatus and 11 specimens of T. sexualis. Similarly, 27 specimens previously identified as Trichius zonatus Germar, 1831 or Trichius gallicus zonatus Germar, 1831 were re-identified as 10 specimens of T. fasciatus and 17 specimens of T. sexualis. We provide an identification key and data on previous findings of each species in Romania, as well as information on the analyzed specimens and geographic distribution within Romania, all supplemented by a database for the genus Trichius.