Anoplognathus spChristmas Beetle (Anoplognathus macleayi) Anoplognathus porosus
The term Christmas beetle is commonly applied to the genus Anoplognathus, as they were often seen in numbers close to the Christmas period. These members of the scarab family (belong to a group that include dung beetles and chafers).
Christmas beetles are large (20 to 30 mm long), have a chunky and somewhat flattened shape. Their elytra are light or dark brown, yellow or pink, green or a green-yellow iridescence or glossy/metallic in colour and appearance.
The elytra are the hard exoskeleton that covers the wings of the beetle, providing protection from heat, wind and moisture evaporation.
They were once particularly prevalent in midsummer, swarming especially around the lights in the towns throughout eastern Australia. Now with cities of concrete, brick and tarmac, their habitat have vanished, except for those parks and gardens that still provide for their needs.
The adults Christmas beetles usually feed on eucalyptus leaves, preferring open woodland to forest. They are sometimes seen on agricultural land, forming a dense mass on the few remaining eucalypts, feeding on the leaves that would sometimes end in the death of the tree.
The larvae of the Christmas beetle feed on decaying organic matter and roots (usually of grasses). They pupate in the soil, with the adult beetles emerge early to mid summer period.
In the following two photos of Anoplognathus chloropyrus, was taken by Michael Jefferies from a deceased specimen found in Stanthorpe Queensland.
Side view of Anoplognathus chloropyrus.
The photo compiled from a stack of 35 photos taken using a Canon 7D and Canon 100mm macro lens controlled by DSLR Remote Pro for Mac and combined using Helicon Focus on an iMac.
The photo compiled from a stack of 45 photos taken using a Canon 7D and Canon 100mm macro lens controlled by DSLR Remote Pro for Mac and combined using Helicon Focus on an iMac.
At the time of writing there were 33 named species of the genus Anoplognathus on the iNaturalistAU site.
- Scientific classification
- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Subclass: Pterygota
- Order: Coleoptera
- Suborder: Polyphaga
- Infraorder: Scarabaeiformia
- Superfamily: Scarabaeoidea
- Family: Scarabaeidae
- Subfamily: Rutelinae
- Tribe: Anoplognathini
- Subtribe: Anoplognathina
- Genus: Anoplognathus
- Species: (33 named species as of 15 January 2023
- Anoplognathus abnormis
- Anoplognathus aeneus
- Anoplognathus analis
- Anoplognathus aureus
- Anoplognathus blackdownensis
- Anoplognathus boisduvalii
- Anoplognathus brevicollis
- Anoplognathus brunnipennis
- Anoplognathus caesareus
- Anoplognathus concolor
- Anoplognathus daemeli
- Anoplognathus flavipennis
- Anoplognathus hirsutus
- Anoplognathus macleayi
- Anoplognathus montanus
- Anoplognathus multiseriatus
- Anoplognathus narmarus
- Anoplognathus nebulosus
- Anoplognathus olivieri
- Anoplognathus pallidicollis
- Anoplognathus parvulus
- Anoplognathus pindarus
- Anoplognathus porosus
- Anoplognathus prasinus
- Anoplognathus punctulatus
- Anoplognathus rhinastus
- Anoplognathus rothschildti
- Anoplognathus rugosus
- Anoplognathus smaragdinus
- Anoplognathus suturalis
- Anoplognathus velutinus
- Anoplognathus viridiaeneus
- Anoplognathus viriditarsis
Footnote & References
- Christmas Beetles (Genus Anoplognathus), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/201869-Anoplognathus
- Where have all the Christmas beetles gone?, Chris Reid, Principal Research Scientist, First published in Explore 33(4), summer 2011, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/christmas-beetles/
- Anoplognathus chloropyrus © Michael Jefferies, Flickr
Anoplognathus spChristmas Beetle (Anoplognathus macleayi) Anoplognathus porosus
ColeopteraAmarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Buprestidae Cerambycidae Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Digitonthophagus gazella Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Johannica gemellata (Pandorea Leaf Beetle) Ladybirds (Beetles) Lepidiota Lucanidae Neospades sp Lycidae Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsisterna sp Pittosporum Leaf Beetle (Lamprolina impressicollis) Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhipiceridae Scarabaeidae Xylophilostenus octophyllus
InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera (True Bugs) Mango Planthopper Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Syrphidae Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub