Mecynorhina ugandensis is a beetle from the subfamily Cetoniinae, tribe Goliathini, it was described by Josef Moser

Josef Moser (entomologist)

Josef Moser was an Austrian priest who gained fame as an enthusiastic entomologist.He studied for the priesthood in Linz, and became a priest in Zell....

 in 1907.

Classification

According to the last work of De Palma & Frantz, this species is included in the subgenus Mecynorrhinella Marais and Holm, 1992, and is a subspecies of Mecynorhina torquata Hope, 1837.

For a simplification, we will follow Allard

Vincent Allard

Vincent Allard was a Belgian entomologist.Born at Braine l'Alleud, south Brussels, Vincent Allard received his medical studies in France where he obtained several degrees from the University of Paris and Institut Pasteur in 1947 and 1948.In 1949 he was in the United States where he studied fungal...

 considering ugandensis as a good species.

Synomym

Zdenӗk Tesař described in 1935 the Mecynorrhina machulkai which is compared to Mecynorhina torquata, he seems not to know the species described by Moser.

Variations

All the specimens of this species are rarely the same. Moser described it with red elytra ("elytris rubis"). In his paper, Tesař describes also several forms and illustrates many of them. Many varieties have been illustrated in The Beetles of the World

The Beetles of the World

The Beetles of the World is a series of books devoted to the study of the Coleoptera, worldwide. Sciences Nat published the 24 first volumes; the following volumes and the supplements were published by Hillside Books, Canterbury....

, volume 7, plates 3–6. Here are other photos of the variations of the species, all the specimens are from Dr. Allard's collection.