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Family Buprestidae
- This page contains information and pictures about Jewel Beetles in Subfamily Buprestinae
that we
found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
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- Jewel Beetles can normally be seen feeding nectar on flowers in bush during
a sunny day. Some Jewel Beetles are leaves feeder. They ranged from very small
to very large size. Their body is elongated and flattened. They are brightly
coloured and often have a metallic sheen which make their common name Jewel
Beetles. They are active and ready to fly during daytime.
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- Most species of Jewel Beetle larvae live in wood, although some of them
live in root and a few are leave miner. Most of them have very long life
cycle.
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- Variable Jewel Beetle
 - Temognatha variabilis (Themognatha variabilis ),
Stigmoderini, Stigmoderina, body length
35mm
- We found this beetle in Karawatha Forest on She-oak trees. This is the largest beetle we ever saw.
This Jewel Beetle is very colourful and the colours are highly variable. They
can be yellow to dark red. Some individuals may have red/yellow/green patterns
on wing-covers. We have detail information and many pictures in this page.
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- Castiarina Jewel Beetle
I
 - Castiarina sexplagiata, Stigmoderini, Stigmoderina, body length 12mm
- In
Alexandra Hill during early summer, we found a lot of those orange-black Jewel
Beetle feeding on white flowers of tea tree Leptospermum. The patterns
on each beetle are slightly different. Their colours also vary from yellow to
orange. Please check this page for more information.
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- Castiarina Jewel Beetle II
 - Castiarina
decemmaculata,
Stigmoderini, Stigmoderina, body length 12mm
- Castiarina sexplagiata and Castiarina decemmaculata
feeding on Tea-tree flowers, Leptospermum sp., Family
Myrtaceae. Please check this page
for more infromation.
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- Variegate Jewel Beetle
  - Castiarina variegata, subfamily Buprestinae,
Stigmoderini, Stigmoderina, body length 12mm
- On Oct 2004 in White Hill, we found this Jewel Beetle alone on a young gum
tree. Check this page for more
information.
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- Dysentery Plant Jewel Beetle
 - Melobasis azureipennis (Melobasis (Melobasis) cyaneipennis),
Melobasini, Melobasina, body length 10mm
- This small Jewel Beetle has the metallic blue wing-covers, golden green
thorax and metallic black head. Its wing-covers have the saw-toothed edge,
which is a unique feature among jewel beetles. We found this beetle once
in Daisy Hill near Buhot Creek on mid summer Dec 2008. It was resting on
leaves on the top of a short weed plant (correction: this plant is not a
weed). More information and pictures please click on here.
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- Blue Banksia Jewel Beetle
- Cyrioides australis (Cyria australis), Epistomentini, Epistomentina,
body length 30mm
- The jewel beetle is dark blue in colour. Its thorax and wing-covers is smooth and shiny. It has a pair of large eyes. Its head, abdomen and legs are the same dark blue colours but covered with short white hairs.
Please check this page for more information.
- Reference and Link:
- 1. Allen Sundholm's Buprestidae Home Page
(We also like to thank Allen Sundholm advised some of the Jewel Beetles'
ID in the page.)
- 2. Insects
of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 632.
- 3. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus
& Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p216.
- 4. Jewel Beetles of Western Australia - K. Carnaby, Wilga
WA, 1986.
- 5. Beetles of South Australia, a guide to the Genera of, Part 4,
E.G. Matthews, South Australia Museum, 1985.
[ Up ] [ Buprestinae ] [ Agrilinae ]
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