CastiarinaCastiarina andersoni Castiarina bella Castiarina crenata Castiarina decemmaculata Castiarina erythroptera Castiarina luteipennis Castiarina marginata Castiarina octospilota Castiarina rufipennis Castiarina scalaris Castiarina subtincta Castiarina xanthopilosa
The species Castiarina rufipennis, belonging to one of the largest genera of beetles in Australia, the Castiarina, in the family Buprestidae, tribe Stigmoderini. This group is also collectively and commonly called the Jewel Beetles.
The Castiarina rufipennis are describes as having a pronotum that is black and shiny with sparse shallow fine punctures and a large pit towards each posterior corner. The ventral side are black with blue reflections. Apical sternite with bifurcate projection in the female and a large tarsi.
Rufipennis is from the Latin words rufus, meaning red or reddish-brown, and pennatus, meaning winged.
Like the other species in this genera, the Castiarina rufipennis emerge during the summer, usually when the native plants, such as the Eucalyptus and Leptospermum (tea trees), begin to flower.
Like Castiarina erythroptera, the species Castiarina rufipennis is described as a Lycid beetle mimic. Lycid beetles are toxic and offensive in taste to most predators, which they advertise by the orange and black colours.
Photographs © Tony Eales
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Coleoptera
- Suborder: Polyphaga
- Superfamily: Buprestoidea
- Family: Buprestidae
- Subfamily: Buprestinae
- Tribe: Stigmoderini
- Subtribe: Stigmoderina
- Genus: Castiarina
- Species: Castiarina rufipennis
Footnote & References
- Castiarina rufipennis © Tony Eales
- tjeales, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/users/1274785
- Additional Information and photographic source Australasian Beetles Only, Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1180404322409639/
- Castiarina rufipennis, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/604366-Castiarina-rufipennis
- Castiarina rufipennis (Kirby, 1818), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/7ffbf204-cb65-4632-9312-3c1047ae3ea9
- Castiarina rufipennis, Buprestidae of South Australia (Jewel beetles), by Peter J. Lang, https://syzygium.xyz/buprestidae/species.php?species=Castiarina_rufipennis
CastiarinaCastiarina andersoni Castiarina bella Castiarina crenata Castiarina decemmaculata Castiarina erythroptera Castiarina luteipennis Castiarina marginata Castiarina octospilota Castiarina rufipennis Castiarina scalaris Castiarina subtincta Castiarina xanthopilosa
BuprestidaeMore Buprestidae Jewel Beetles Astraeus Calodema plebeia Castiarina Cyrioides Diadoxus Diphucrania Melobasis Merimna atrata Metaxymorpha gloriosa Stigmodera Temognatha Torresita cuprifera
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