Eight-spotted Leaf Beetle - Paropsisterna sexpustulata
Subfamily Chrysomelinae, FAMILY CHRYSOMELIDAE
This page contains pictures and information about Eight Spotted Leaf beetles that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 12mm
- We found this Eucalyptus Leaf Beetle on a She-oak tree (Allocasuarina sp.) in late summer, near Bulimba Creek in Wishart Outlook Bushland. The beetle is dark brown in colour with three bright orange spots on each wing covers and two on thorax.
- A year later in mid summer, we found another one (second picture) on a gum leaf. It dropped onto the ground and disappeared after we took one photo.
- We saw this beautiful leaf beetle a only few times. Early summer in Karawatha Forest we found it hiding on a large gum tree under loose bark.
- When we came close to take those pictures, it drop onto the ground. We try to picked it up, it slowly walked on our hand and flied away.
- On Feb 2011, we found this leaf beetle hiding under loose bark in Ford Road Conservation Area.
- Body length 12mm
Walking up onto the tree top
- On Boxing day 2010 in Yimbin Park, we saw a Eight Spotted Leaf beetle walking up on a large gum tree trunk. We came to have a closer look but the beetle drop on to the leaf of Monkey-rope plant near the tree base. it sit on a leaf. It kept all its leg and antenna close under its wing cover and did not move a bit.
- We waited for about 15 minutes. The beetle might believe the danger had gone and started to move. It walked across leaves and stems of the Monkey-rope and moved towards to the tree trunk.
- It climbed back onto the tree trunk and continuous its journey up onto the tree top.
- We thought this species is Paropsisterna beata. Chris Reid sent us email and advised that it should be the P. sexpustulata. This species complex contains 5 species.
- Thank to Chris Reid for the identification of this leaf beetle.
- Reference:
- 1. Wildlife of Tropical North Queensland - Queensland Museum Publications 2000, p100.
- 2. Spotted black leaf beetle - lifeunseen.com, Insects and Spiders of Sunshine Coast, Southeast Queensland, Australia, by Nick Monaghan.
- 3. Paropsisterna beata - PaDIL, Pest and Diseases Image Library, 2007.
- 4. Paropsisterna beata (Newman, 1842) - Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australia 2005.
- 5. Larva Paropsisterna beata (Newman) (Chrysomelidae) - from CD-ROM "Beetle Larvae of the World"
- 6. Paropsisterna sexpustulata - Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney Australia.
- 7. Paropsisterna beata - Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney Australia.
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