Green Scarab Beetle - Diphucephala sp.
FAMILY SCARABAEIDAE
This page contains information and pictures about Green Scarab Beetles that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 8mm
- This Small Green Beetle is metallic green in colour often with red or golden tones, with very short on abdomen. They are common in our area in early summer. Sometimes we can find one or two of them in our backyard.
- In early summer, we found the leaves of a tree was completely eaten by those small green beetles. On the tree there are a great number of them feeding. Notice the zigzag cuts to the leaves as they feed. This is the typical marks of beetles feeding.
- When disturbed, the beetle employs the drop and fly method to escape. They are active during the day and quite ready to fly on a sunny day.
- Their larvae are C-shaped and live in soil, feed on roots and other organic matter. They pupate in soil as well.
- In early summer, we usually find half the leaves of the host tree (Ash, Alphitonia sp. ?) completely eaten by those small green beetles. It seems they feed on most other leaves as well.
- Reference:
- 1. Diphucephala colaspidoides - AICN, Australian Insect Common Names, CSIRO, 2005.
- 2. Diphucephala Dejean, 1821 - Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, 2008.
