Buprestidae Images: Australia
Part 1.
All images are Copyright Allen Sundholm 1997.
Email:
entom@eagles.bbs.net.auClick
here to go to "Checklist: Buprestidae of the Sydney Region".
Saunders, 1868
A small nectar-feeding species that occurs in the semi-arid inland of western New South Wales, central & western Victoria, and south-east South Australia. Appears to be confined to Eucalyptus mallee habitats. Adults have been found on the flowers of Myporium spp., Bursaria sp., and Leptospermum spp. Usually uncommon. Not shown to be endangered.
Barker,
Occurs from inland S.E. Queensland to NE inland New South Wales, and in the lower Hunter Valley region. Likely to also occur in intervening areas. Adults have been found on the flowers of Melaleuca thymifolia, as shown here, on other Melaleuca spp. flowers, and on the flowers of various Leptospermum spp. Localised. Not shown to be endangered. Click
here to got to its listing in "Checklist: Buprestidae of the Sydney Region".
Calodema plebeja
Jordan.This large and difficult to reach species is found only in northern Queensland where it feeds on the flowers of Eucalyptus spp. and Evodia spp. growing near and in rainforest respectively. This species likes to keep to the highest flowers on these tall trees. Not shown to be endangered. Photo Allen Sundholm. Specimen courtesy of J. Bugeja.
Saunders
The lovely Castiarina producta Saunders was actually Australia's first jewel beetle to be illustrated on a stamp. This species occurs very occasionally on Leptospermum in wetter areas, but can be commonly found in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forests where it feeds on the flowers of Acmena smithii. Larval host plant unknown. Not shown to be endangered. Click
here to go to its listing in "Checklist: Buprestidae of the Sydney Region".
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Email:
entom@eagles.bbs.net.au