Dicranolaius bellulus (Red and Blue Beetle)

Alice Springs Fauna •

Alice Springs Beetles > Alice Springs Beetles Index

The species Dicranolaius bellulus, common names include Red and Blue Beetle and the Red and Blue Pollen Beetle. The specimen pictured here was rescued from a swimming pool in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia.

Dicranolaius bellulus are a small red and metallic blue banded beetle (about 5 to 8 mm) and has a dark head. In the male of the species, they have an enlarged third antennal segment, that is used to grasp the female’s antennae during mating.

As well as being a male specimen (note the enlarged third antennal segment), it was interesting to see the “heart” shape on the rear end of the abdomen.

Check out our section on Fauna | Insects | Coleoptera | Coleoptera Index | Beetles

Also our blog My heart at the tail end.

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• Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthropoda
• Subphylum: Hexapoda
• Class: Insecta
• Informal: Pterygotaes
• Order: Coleoptera
• Suborder: Polyphaga
• Superfamily: Cleroidea
• Family: Melyridae
• Subfamily: Malachiinae
• Genus: Dicranolaius
• Species: Dicranolaius bellulus

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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) 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) 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)

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