About Chiloloba acuta (Wiedemann, 1823)
Chiloloba acuta is a species of flower chafer beetle in the family Scarabaeidae, and it is the only member of its genus Chiloloba. It is widely distributed across the Indian subcontinent. These beetles typically have a shiny body covered in short hairs on both upper and lower surfaces. The clypeus features a median keel. Adult individuals are shiny metallic green, though they can sometimes appear red or deep blue. Hairs cover their upperside irregularly, and grow more densely on the body sides and underside. The elytra form a raised ridge along their connecting edge near the hind end of the body. A fine ridge runs from the forehead to the tip of the clypeus. This species is commonly found on grasses in southern India after the northeast monsoon. Adult beetles will sometimes feed on cultivated cereal and millet crops including sorghum and maize, damaging the crops' flowers and grain, but it is rarely a serious pest. Adult Chiloloba acuta feed on pollen and flowers from a wide variety of grasses, and their adult emergence aligns with the flowering period of these grasses. Immature individuals feed on decaying organic matter, and contribute to the movement of soil nutrients.
