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
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
- 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:
- Rhipicera (Agathorhipis) Guérin-Méneville, 1843
- Species: Rhipicera femorata
- Rhipicera (Oligorhipis) Guérin-Méneville, 1843
- Species: Rhipicera carinata
- Rhipicera (Agathorhipis) Guérin-Méneville, 1843
Footnote & References
- Photographs © Michelle Dreher
- Photographs © Nomes Naomi Betts
- Rhipiceridae, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/af43b6eb-c5c7-4366-84d5-51d10d615546
- RHIPICERIDAE – CSIRO Entomology, https://www.ento.csiro.au/education/insects/coleoptera_families/rhipiceridae.html
- Australasian Beetles Only, Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1180404322409639/
- Rhipicera Latreille, 1817, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/6c9af27e-1280-4158-96af-efac8e6ccbdf
RhipiceridaeFeather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera carinata) Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera femorata)
ColeopteraAmarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Christmas Beetle (Anoplognathus macleayi) Anoplognathus porosus Aphanestes gymnopleura Buprestidae More Buprestidae Jewel Beetles Astraeus Calodema plebeia Castiarina Cyrioides Diadoxus Diphucrania Melobasis Merimna atrata Metaxymorpha gloriosa Stigmodera Temognatha Torresita cuprifera Cerambycidae Didymocantha obliqua Pachydissus sp Rhytiphora Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Chrysolopus spectabilis (Botany Bay Diamond Weevil) Lixus Perperus lateralis (White-striped Weevil) Digitonthophagus gazella Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Johannica gemellata (Pandorea Leaf Beetle) Ladybirds (Beetles) Australoneda bourgeoisi Coccinella transversalis Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Harmonia conformis Olla v-nigrum Orcus australasiae Lepidiota Lucanidae Lamprima aurata Prosopocoilus torresensis Neospades sp Lycidae Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsis maculata Paropsis porosa Paropsis sospita Paropsisterna sp Paropsisterna beata Paropsisterna m-fuscum Paropsisterna pictipes Pittosporum Leaf Beetle (Lamprolina impressicollis) Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhipiceridae Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera carinata) Feather-horned Beetle (Rhipicera femorata) Scarabaeidae Scarabaeinae (Dung Beetles) 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