New Insect Record for Hubei—Clinterocera trimaculata Appears in Shennongjia

On the evening of June 11, 2025, a “special guest” visited the balcony of Chen Xiaoguang, an employee of the Administration of Shennongjia National Park. As a graduate of Huazhong Agricultural University, Chen keenly sensed this insect was uncommon. He promptly photographed it and uploaded the image to the Shennongjia National Park Baseline Resource Survey chat group. Identified by entomological experts, it was confirmed as a new record for Hubei Province’s insect family-the Three-spotted Flower Chafer (Clinterocera trimaculata). This discovery marks its first recorded appearance in Hubei.

This little sprite, shimmering with the forest’s glow, measures about 2 cm in length. It is clad in highly distinctive “armor”: on a jet-black base, three conspicuous yellow patches adorn each side like carefully placed golden insignia. Its entire body exhibits a mysterious metallic sheen, while the edges of its elytra are outlined with a vivid reddish-brown hue. As a member of the flower chafer family, it is a natural “bosom friend” of blossoms, flitting lightly among flowers and serving as a vital pollinator for plants. Its larvae dwell silently in the soil, decomposing humus, acting as unsung heroes maintaining the forest’s material cycles.

“The appearance of the Three-spotted Flower Chafer not only fills a gap in Hubei’s insect distribution map,” stated an expert involved in the identification, “Previously recorded in Guizhou and Zhejiang provinces in China, and northern Vietnam, it is rarely seen outside its type locality in Guizhou, where it is relatively common. Its presence here is a testament to the well-preserved and species-rich primitive forest ecosystem of Shennongjia. Beetles of this kind are extremely sensitive to environmental changes, acting as a natural indicator of ecological health.” 

Shennongjia, a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot, enjoys the reputation of being a “species gene bank”. The appearance of the Three-spotted Flower Chafer here adds a fresh entry to Hubei Province’s insect inventory. Its unique ecological niche holds significant value for deepening the understanding of regional food web structures and pollination networks. Moreover, this tiny yet brilliant mark of life reaffirms the decisive importance of protecting lush mountains and lucid waters in safeguarding natural treasures—only with healthy forests can myriad creatures share a future of harmonious coexistence here.（By Du Hua）