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Dicranosterna sp.
A honey beetle found on Acacia. Dicranosterna feed on Acacia and is the second of very few species found in victoria. (Paropsis feed usually on Eucalyptus).
Nature reserve. This beetle was on blackwood (acacia melanoxylon) which usually has no visitors at all.
The main diagnostic for Dicranosterna is sparse and non striate punctures on the elytra. There are 34 species in Australia. Brisbane insects lists D. picea as a similar species. http://www.nzffa.org.nz/farm-forestry-mo...
Spotted on Sep 15, 2014
Submitted on Sep 15, 2014
6 Comments
Beauty
The southern species
Their little faces just peaking out. So cute. Love the rich honey color on this one.
Aha! Found it. The blackwood leaf beetle on the blackwood tree. Who would have thought? Dicranosterna semipunctata
http://www.nzffa.org.nz/farm-forestry-mo...
Thanks Mark.
Acacia seem to have some good protection from arthropod herbivores,
We get D. immaculata on silver wattle and black wattle but I was not expecting this on blackwood wattle.
That's a really nice one. Very tidy when tucked down. I still can't find anything on acacia.