BuprestidaeMore Buprestidae Jewel Beetles Astraeus Calodema plebeia Castiarina Cyrioides Diadoxus Diphucrania Melobasis Merimna atrata Metaxymorpha gloriosa Stigmodera Temognatha Torresita cuprifera

Temognatha is a genus of metallic wood-boring beetles, that include over 85 species native to Australia.

In the family Buprestidae, the genus Temognatha was previously known as Stigmodera and Themognatha and belongs to the Buprestidae family.

Temognatha chalcodera

The Temognatha chalcodera is a very pale specimen with some darker markings not normally present. The normal colour on the elytra is bright to dark red.

Temognatha chalcodera, west of Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha chalcodera, west of Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon

This is the more normal colour of Temognatha chalcodera.

Temognatha chalcodera, WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha chalcodera, WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha chevrolati
Temognatha chevrolati, Bullfinch WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha chevrolati, Bullfinch WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha flavocincta

— see Temognatha flavocincta

Temognatha flavocincta on mallee flowers, Hopetoun WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha flavocincta on mallee flowers, Hopetoun WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha heros

Temognatha heros (female) from near Menzies. This is the largest species of Temognatha in Australia and is quite widespread across the SW mallee and adjacent arid zones of Western Australia.

Temognatha heros (female), near Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha heros (female), near Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha heros (female), near Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha heros (female) from near Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha lessoni
Temognatha lessoni, Hopetoun WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha lessoni, Hopetoun WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha marginalis
Temognatha marginalis, west of Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha marginalis, west of Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha martinii
Temognatha martinii, between Lake King and Esperance WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha martinii, WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha mniszechi

Temognatha mniszechi breed in Melaleuca and are found from Shark Bay to the Nullarbor excluding the SW forests. The pronotum has the finest punctuation of any Temognatha species and is like a mirror.

Temognatha mniszechi, north of Wubin WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha mniszechi, north of Wubin WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha murrayi
Temognatha murrayi, Bullfinch WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha murrayi, Bullfinch WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha pascoei
Temognatha pascoei, west of Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha pascoei, west of Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha pictipes
Temognatha pictipes, west of Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha pictipes, west of Menzies WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha secularis

This is one of the smallest Temognatha species in Australia (it’s about18 mm). It’s found in the SW of WA and it’s pattern can vary from very plain for specimens from inland mallee areas to prominent bands in more forested areas. The pronotum can also vary from bronze to copper to bright green. This specimen has a very unusual pattern.

Temognatha secularis, Ravensthorpe WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha secularis, Ravensthorpe WA Mark Hanlon
Temognatha westwoodi
Temognatha westwoodi, Bullfinch WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha westwoodi, Bullfinch WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha yarrelli
Temognatha yarrelli (female), between Lake King and Esperance WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha yarrelli (female), WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha bonvouloiri

The Temognatha bonvouloiri (Jewel Beetles) do not live long as adults and die in-situ on the flowers that they feed on the nectar of and where they also mate on, dropping to the ground. Most of these specimens are likely to be males, as the females would have flown off to oviposit on their larval hosts, in this case Allocasuarina sp.

Reference source: Allan Sundholm

Temognatha bonvouloiri, Bullfinch WA © Mark Hanlon
Temognatha bonvouloiri, Bullfinch WA © Mark Hanlon
  • 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: Temognatha

Footnote & References

  1. Temognatha spp. Photographs © Mark Hanlon
  2. Temognatha Solier, 1833, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/abfff3ad-f739-4c48-953d-f96f18033a9b
  3. Genus Temognatha, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/332345-Temognatha
  4. Jewel beetles found in WA from the genus Temognatha, Western Australian Museum, https://museum.wa.gov.au/explore/high-res/jewel-beetles-found-wa-genus-temognatha

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