Buprestidae

BuprestidaeMore Buprestidae Buprestidae Index Jewel Beetles Astraeus Calodema plebeia Calotemognatha Castiarina Cyrioides Diadoxus Diphucrania Hypocisseis suturalis Julodimorpha saundersii Melobasis Merimna atrata Metaxymorpha grayii Metaxymorpha gloriosa Stigmodera Temognatha Torresita cuprifera

The family Buprestidae are a beautiful and often iridescent colourful group of beetles known collectively as “Jewel Beetles” or “Metallic Wood-boring Beetles”. The larvae of this family of beetles are known as flatheaded borers.

The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some 15,500 species known in 775 genera. In addition, almost 100 fossil species have been described.

The following selection of Buprestids were photographed between Lake King and Esperance in Western Australia.

Temognatha martinii

Temognatha yarrelli

Castiarina gardnerae

Castiarina aureola

Castiarina simulata lais

Castiarina macmillani

The following Buprestids were photographed around Ravensthorpe in Western Australia and include: Castiarina castelnaudi (images 1, 2), Castiarina clancula (image 3), Castiarina distinguenda (images 4, 5), Castiarina hateleyi (image 6), Castiarina marginata (image 7), Castiarina rufipennis (image 8), Castiarina subtestacea (image 9), Castiarina turbulenta (image 10).

These buprestids were found at Cape Arid in Western Australia.

Castiarina sanguinolenta

Stigmodera roei

Pseudotaenia spilota

Following is Pseudotaenia spilota, a Buprestids from the family Buprestidae, subfamily Chrysochroinae.

Photographs © Mark Hanlon

Stigmodera macularia

The following Stigmodera macularia from Girraween, Queensland. The photo compiled from a stack of 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.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Informal: Pterygotes
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Superfamily: Buprestoidea
Family: Buprestidae
Subfamily:
- Agrilinae Gory & Laporte, 1835
- Bufrestinae
- Buprestinae Leach, 1815
- Chrysochroinae Laporte, 1835
- Polycestinae Lacordaire, 1857

Footnote & References

Information and photographic source Australasian Beetles Only, Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1180404322409639/
Buprestidae Leach, 1815, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/625b4017-8b08-40a9-adf9-77406ba85f8b
Jewel Beetles (Family Buprestidae), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/54964-Buprestidae
Buprestidae, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buprestidae
Lang, P.J. ([Year]). ‘Buprestidae of South Australia’ website at http://syzygium.xyz/buprestidae/taxonomy.php

ColeopteraColeoptera Index Amarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Blackburnium cavicolle Buprestidae Carphurus Cerambycidae Chalcopteroides (Chalcopterus Beetle) Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles) Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Hydrophilus Ladybirds (Beetles) Lepidiota Lucanidae Lycidae Neospades sp Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsisterna sp Phorticosomus sp Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhipiceridae Scarabaeidae Tenebrionidae Xylophilostenus octophyllus

InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub