Christmas Beetle – Anoplognatius porosus.
At Christmas time in Australia, huge numbers can suddenly appear on a Eucalyptus tree and look just like the decorations on Christmas tree. They are metallic green in colour and have a beautiful texture on their wing covers. They're about 25-30 mm in length.
Christmas Beetle female lay eggs in soil or compost in spring and early summer. Larvae live in the soil. They feed on decaying organic matter or roots. They pupate in soil as well. Adult beetles emerge during the early to mid summer period from soil. They are extremely voracious feeders and large swarms can rapidly defoliate trees in young eucalypt plantations and are regarded as important pests.
(I went to a store to buy some insecticide. “Is this good for beetles?” I asked the clerk. “No,” he replied. “It’ll kill ‘em.”)
Sound like the rose chafers we get here in colour, don't you think? They're my fave bugs to look at around may-aug. By the way, quiz answers now published on my blog.
ReplyDeleteThese look rather like the June bugs that appear in Thesaurus Rex's garedn during the summer. They are attracted to the flowers on his mexican orange bush and add a most decorative effect when the sun glints off their shiny wing cases.
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