Castiarina rufipennis

CastiarinaCastiarina Index Castiarina andersoni Castiarina bella Castiarina crenata Castiarina decemmaculata Castiarina decipiens Castiarina erythroptera Castiarina imitator Castiarina luteipennis Castiarina marginata Castiarina media 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

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/Castiarina rufipennis
Castiarina rufipennis, Buprestidae of South Australia (Jewel beetles), by Peter J. Lang, https://syzygium.xyz/buprestidae/species.php?species=Castiarina_rufipennis

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

ColeopteraColeoptera Index Amarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Aphanesthes succine Aporocera speciosa Atractocerus crassicornis Blackburnium cavicolle Buprestidae Carphurus Cerambycidae Chalcopteroides (Chalcopterus Beetle) Christmas Beetles Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles) Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Dicranolaius cinctus Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Hydrophilus Ladybirds (Beetles) Lepidiota Lucanidae Lycidae Malachiinae Mordellidae (Pintail Beetles) Neospades sp Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsisterna sp Phorticosomus sp Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhinotia haemoptera Rhinotia suturalis 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