BuprestidaeMore Buprestidae Buprestidae Index Jewel Beetles Astraeus Bubastes pilbarensis Calodema plebeia Calotemognatha Castiarina Cyrioides Diadoxus Hypocisseis suturalis Diphucrania Julodimorpha saundersii Melobasis Merimna atrata Metaxymorpha grayii Metaxymorpha gloriosa Stigmodera Temognatha Torresita cuprifera
The species Metaxymorpha gloriosa is a beautiful examples of the “Jewel Beetles”.
Belonging to the genera Metaxymorpha, in the tribe Stigmoderini, subfamily Buprestinae, that contain Australasian species, with Metaxymorpha restricted to New Guinea (associated islands) and the northern and north-eastern coastal areas of Australia.
Metaxymorpha gloriosa are about 2-3 cm in length, and emerge during the summer months when the native plants start flowering including Eucalyptus and Tea trees.

Whilst Metaxymorpha gloriosa have similarities to Castiarina rollei, some obvious differences are in the elytral spikes, with M. gloriosa having 3 spikes and C. rollei having only two spikes. There is also a body length difference with C. rollei being slightly smaller, approximately 2 to 2.5 cm in size. There is also a size difference in the scutellum (located below the pronotum), with C. rollei scutellum being smaller then that in M. gloriosa.






- 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: Metaxymorpha
- Species group: Metaxymorpha
- Species: Metaxymorpha gloriosa
Footnote & References
- Photographs Metaxymorpha gloriosa © Hongming Kan
- Australasian Beetles Only, Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1180404322409639/
- Metaxymorpha gloriosa Blackburn, 1894, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Metaxymorpha gloriosa
- Metaxymorpha gloriosa, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/931130-Metaxymorpha-gloriosa
BuprestidaeMore Buprestidae Buprestidae Index Jewel Beetles Astraeus Bubastes pilbarensis Calodema plebeia Calotemognatha Castiarina 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 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 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