Coleoptera | Coleoptera Index | Christmas Beetles | Christmas Beetles Index | Christmas Beetles (Anoplognathus) | Christmas Beetle (Anoplognathus brunnipennis) | Christmas Beetle (Anoplognathus macleayi) | Christmas Beetles (Diphucephala) | Lamprima aurata
‘Christmas Beetle’ is a common name that is often applied to a range of brightly coloured beetles, with species varying in colour from gold, shades of green, blue, purple, red to brown and black. The key features is that their colour is metallic in appearance, a glossy sheen, that make them glint in the sunlight, like Christmas tinsels and baubles. Many of this commonly named group of shiny beetles are usually seen flying around in December and often en masse.
The Christmas Beetles is a common name applied to several species of beetles, across a number of family / genus / species such as family Lucanidae and Scarabaeidae and a number of species in the genus Anoplognathus and Diphucephala. Each species of Christmas beetle will have own unique scientific name — binomial nomenclature (species binomial). Some species in the Christmas beetle group include Anoplognathus suturalis, Diphucephala colaspidoides and Lamprima aurata.
Anoplognathus montanus
Whilst it is sometimes grouped with the Christmas Beetle, the Anoplognathus montanus is usually referred to with the common name of Duck Billed Beetle.
Footnote & References
- Christmas Beetles, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/collections/natural-science/entomology/christmas-beetles/
- Christmas Beetle, Australian Museum, https://australian.museum/learn/animals/insects/christmas-beetle/
- Anoplognathus Leach, 1815, Christmas Beetle, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Anoplognathus
- Christmas Beetle Count, Invertebrates Australia, iNaturalist, https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/christmas-beetle-count
- People worry Christmas beetles are disappearing. We’re gathering citizen data to see the full picture, CSIRO, https://www.csiro.au/en/news/all/articles/2023/december/christmas-beetles
Coleoptera | Coleoptera Index | Christmas Beetles | Christmas Beetles Index | Christmas Beetles (Anoplognathus) | Christmas Beetle (Anoplognathus brunnipennis) | Christmas Beetle (Anoplognathus macleayi) | Christmas Beetles (Diphucephala) | Lamprima aurata
ColeopteraColeoptera Index Amarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Aphanesthes succine Aporocera speciosa Atractocerus crassicornis Blackburnium cavicolle Buprestidae Carphurus Cerambycidae Carabidae 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
InsectsInsects Life Cycle… Bees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Mantodea Moths Neuroptera Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub
