RhipiceridaeFeather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera carinata) Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera femorata)

The family Rhipiceridae include seven genera (at time of writing, May 2023), which contain two subfamilies Rhipicerinae and Sandalinae. Australian genera/species are in the subfamily Rhipicerinae. Whilst there are four genus, Atlas of Living Australia identify two of these (Oligorhipis and Rhipicera) include species found in Australia.3

Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera carinata), Carine bushland/wetland WA © Michelle Dreher
Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera carinata), Carine bushland/wetland WA © Michelle Dreher

CSIRO Entomology (at time of writing May 2023), say the following…

This small family has not been well studied in Australia and as a result little is known of their biology and ecology. There are only 6 species of Rhipiceridae in Australia and all belong to the genus Rhipicera. Adults range in size from 10 to 25 millimetres in length and can be recognised by their large fan-like antennae. The antennae of males are unusual in that they have more than 20 segments and arise from small knob-like prominences. Most species are grey-black in colour with white spots on the elytra and pronotum, formed by patches of hair.

Source: RHIPICERIDAE – CSIRO Entomology4
Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera femorata), Southern Fleurieu Peninsula SA © Nomes Naomi Betts
Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera femorata), Southern Fleurieu Peninsula SA © Nomes Naomi Betts
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Subclass: Pterygota
  • Order: Coleoptera
  • Suborder: Polyphaga
  • Infraorder: Elateriformia
  • Superfamily: Dascilloidea
  • Family: Rhipiceridae
  • Genus: Rhipicera Latreille, 1817
  • Subgenus:

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs © Michelle Dreher
  2. Photographs © Nomes Naomi Betts
  3. Rhipiceridae, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/RHIPICERIDAE
  4. RHIPICERIDAE – CSIRO Entomology, https://www.ento.csiro.au/education/insects/coleoptera_families/rhipiceridae.html
  5. Australasian Beetles Only, Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1180404322409639/
  6. Rhipicera Latreille, 1817, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Rhipicera

RhipiceridaeFeather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera carinata) Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera femorata)

ColeopteraColeoptera Index Amarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Anoplognathus macleayi (Christmas Beetle) Anoplognathus porosus Washerwoman (Anoplognathus porosus) Aphanestes gymnopleura Blackburnium cavicolle Buprestidae More 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 Carphurus Carphurus Index Carphurus cyaneipennis Carphurus fasciculatus Carphurus frenchi Carphurus longicollis Carphurus pravus Cerambycidae Longhorn Beetles Index Chlorophorus curtisi Didymocantha obliqua Pachydissus sp Rhytiphora Chalcopteroides (Chalcopterus Beetle) Christmas Beetles Christmas Beetle (Anoplognathus brunnipennis) Christmas Beetles (Anoplognathus) Christmas Beetle (Anoplognathus macleayi) Christmas Beetles (Diphucephala) Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles) Chrysomelidae Index Johannica gemellata (Pandorea Leaf Beetle) Pittosporum Leaf Beetle (Lamprolina impressicollis) Platymela hasenpuschi Spilopyra sumptuosa (Rainbow Leaf Beetle) Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Chrysolopus spectabilis (Botany Bay Diamond Weevil) Lixus Perperus lateralis (White-striped Weevil) Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Hydrophilus Ladybirds (Beetles) Australoneda bourgeoisi Coccinella transversalis Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Harmonia conformis Olla v-nigrum Orcus australasiae Lepidiota Lucanidae Lucanidae Index Lamprima aurata Lissapterus obesus Prosopocoilus torresensis Lycidae Mordellidae (Pintail Beetles) Hoshihananomia leucosticte Mordella australis Neospades sp Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsis maculata Paropsis porosa Paropsis sospita Paropsisterna sp Paropsisterna Index Paropsisterna beata Paropsisterna fastidiosa Paropsisterna m-fuscum Paropsisterna pictipes Paropsisterna sexpustulata Phorticosomus sp Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhinotia haemoptera Rhipiceridae Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera carinata) Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera femorata) Scarabaeidae Scarabaeidae Index Bisallardiana Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles) Schizognathus compressicornis 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