About Hoplia argentea (Poda, 1761)
Adult Hoplia argentea reach a body length of 9–12 millimetres (0.35–0.47 inches). This species is highly variable in coloration. The body of these medium-sized, flower-feeding scarab beetles is covered in pale green, bluish-green, or yellow ocher scales. These scales create interference colors, just like the scales on butterfly wings. Older specimens lose most of their scales, changing their overall body color from green to brown. Like all other species in the genus Hoplia, H. argentea has fairly long hind legs that end in a single claw. Males have black legs and longer hind legs, while females have reddish legs and a body that is usually brown in color. This flower-loving scarab is quite common in mountain areas, and it occurs across most of Europe, including Albania, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland. H. argentea can be found living in open landscapes, parks, mixed forests, gardens, forest edges, and meadows.
