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These Beetles are the JEWELS
in the Entomological Crown
of the Animal Kingdom
Species 1283
Genera 82
This page is strongest for Castiarina genus in Victoria and NSW. Thanks are due to Geoff Walker and Allen Sundholm who have collected some of the specimens and taken some of the Photographs. I have made attributions accordingly.
Any errors are my own, Corrections are welcome.
This site is a gallery and reference collection of beetles and can assist you in identifying the jewel beetles that you find. Also I wish to inspire you to notice the incredible range of colors and patterns that nature has to offer.
More colorful and varied that any other beetles, these gems are attracted to the nectar of native flowers and typically appear in summertime on very hot days. They time their emergence to the flowering period of host plants such as tea tree, daisy bush, thorny box and eucalyptus. They mimic bees, or leaves or ladybird beetles or other (lycid) beetles or even each other. They are very diverse and can sometimes be quite difficult to categorize.
Castiarina bella Bunyip Photo; Martin Lagerwey
Family BUPRESTIDAE Leach, 1815
Subfamily Chalcophorinae Lacordaire, 1857
Subfamily Polycestinae Lacordaire, 1857
Subfamily Buprestinae Leach, 1815
Tribe Melobasini Bílý, 2000
Melobasis Laporte & Gory, 1837
Nascioides Kerremans, 1903
Tribe Epistomentini Levey, 1978
Diadoxus Saunders, 1868
Tribe Buprestini Leach, 1815
Tribe Curidini Holynski, 1988
Subfamily Agrilinae Gory & Laporte, 1835
Tribe Coraebini Bedel, 1921
Tribe Agrilini Laporte, 1835