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Alice Springs Beetles > Alice Springs Beetles Index

This deceased beetle belonging to the genus Colpochila (family Scarabaeidae, subfamily Melolonthinae) was retreived from a swimming pool in Alice Springs. Sometimes referred to as Scarabs or Chafers, they are drab brown or yellowish in colour. They are seen active and flying around at dusk and night, and observed feeding on Eucalyptus foliage.

Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT

It is a large genus that only occurs in Australia, with species found across Australia, in a variety of habitats from inland central grasslands and semi-deserts, to Far North Queensland and Tasmania. There are higher speciation that occur in dryer regions, with around half of the known species occurr in Western Australia.

Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
Colpochila sp (deceased), Alice Springs NT
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Coleoptera
  • Suborder: Polyphaga
  • Superfamily: Scarabaeoidea
  • Family: Scarabaeidae
  • Subfamily: Melolonthinae
  • Tribe: Liparetrini
  • Genus: Colpochila

Footnote & References

  1. Many thanks for ID to Kimberi Pullen and Andras Szito, member of the Entomology Australia “Invertebratology”, https://www.facebook.com/groups/507004496955277/
  2. Genus Colpochila, Ausemade observation, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/observations/253272447
  3. Colpochila Erichson, 1843, An Early Screening Tool for Exotic Scarab Pests to Australia. Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Govt of WA, https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/exotic_scarab_pests/key/lucid_key_to_scarabs/Media/Html/entities/colpochila.htm

Alice Springs Beetles IndexBisallardiana sp Blaps polychresta Bolboceratidae Calosoma oceanicum Calosoma schayeri Carphurus (Soft-winged Flower Beetle) Cassidini Chalcophorotaenia Chlorobapta frontalis Coccinella transversalis (Transverse Ladybird) Colpochila Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Mealybug Destroyer Beetle) Cybister tripunctatus (Three-punctured Diving Beetle) Dicranolaius bellulus (Red and Blue Beetle) Enochrus (Water Scavenger Beetle) Eretes australis (Padded Diving Beetle) Fungus Weevil (Dendropemon subfasciatus) Hydrophilus brevispina Lepidiota Merimna atrata Neospades sp Pachydissus (Longhorn Beetles) Paropsisterna laesa (Eucalyptus Leaf Beetle) Phoracantha punctata (Longhorn Beetle) Phorticosomus sp Phoracantha recurva (Eucalyptus Longhorn Beetle) Prioninae subfamily Protaetia fusca (Mottled Flower Scarab) Pterohelaeus sp (Blue Pie-dish Beetles) Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles)

Alice Springs InsectsAntlion (Heoclisis fundata) Ants (Formicidae) Bees Beetles Index Blattodea Butterflies & Moths (Lepidopterans) Cicadas Coleoptera Diptera Dragonflies Mantodea – Mantises Orthoptera – Orthopteroids True Bugs (Heteroptera) Wasps

Alice Springs FaunaNative Bees Beetles Birds Gastropods (Gastropoda) Insects Marsupials Reptiles Spiders

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