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Project Noah Nature School
Anoplognathus porosusXA. punctulatus?
Christmas is definitely over for this Christmas Beetle as black ants begin to dismantle it. This specimen around 25mm in length. Metallic green and gold with pitted outer wing covers. This is the greenest coloured beetle I have seen of this species. Hooks on end of hairy/spiky legs help the beetle grip and climb, adult beetle emerge from the soil during summer to feed on leave sof Eucalypt trees and when in large numbers have been known to completely defoliate large trees.
Found throughout Australia in various habitats, there are around 35 species. Often heard on summer evenings at dusk providing a low humming or buzzing sound that when combined with many other beetles can resemble the sound of a distant aircraft.
Could this one be a cross between the 2 species? Or a variation of the one species?
Spotted on Jan 27, 2015
Submitted on Jan 27, 2015
2 Comments
Thanks Mark. It's the first one I've seen that's so green, others appeared more golden/orange with a slight green metallic sheen.
Christmas is over for this one. Nice colours.