Plague Soldier Beetle

Southern Downs BeetlesChristmas Beetle (Anoplognathus porosus) Dung Beetle (Onthophagus dandalu) Golden Stag Beetle (Lamprima aurata) Plague Soldier Beetle Punctate Flower Chafer Beetle Red-blue Banded Leaf Beetle Reddish-brown Flower Beetle (Aphanestes gymnopleura) Silver Wattle Leaf Beetle (Calomela ioptera) Small Cypress Jewel Beetle (Diadoxus erythrurus) Talaurinus fergusoni Tortoise Beetle (Paropsis maculata)

The Plague Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus lugubris) are often found in large numbers, on trees and other garden plants. Whilst seeing them in large numbers may be distressing for some gardens, the plants do not suffer much.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Informal: Pterygotes
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Superfamily: Elateroidea
Family: Cantharidae
Subfamily: Chauliognathinae
Genus: Chauliognathus
Species: Chauliognathus lugubris

Footnote & References

Marc Newman, Flickr
Chauliognathus lugubris (Fabricius, 1801), Plague Soldier Beetle, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Chauliognathus lugubris
Plague Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus lugubris), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/123051-Chauliognathus-lugubris
Plague Soldier Beetle, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/plague-soldier-beetle/

Southern Downs InsectsSouthern Downs Beetles Southern Downs Butterflies & Moths Australian Emperor Common Drone Fly Scarlet Percher

Southern Downs QLDSouthern Downs Fauna Southern Downs Bees Southern Downs Birds Southern Downs Crustacean Southern Downs Frogs Southern Downs Insects Southern Downs Marsupials Southern Downs Reptiles Southern Downs Spiders

QueenslandQueensland Fauna Gold Coast Region Lamington National Park Southern Downs QLD