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Chalcopteroides sp.
Today is my 7th anniversary on Project Noah, and this little beetle is helping to mark the occasion. It was trapped in a pot plant saucer, hence came out looking a bit dirty. It's known as a "true darkling beetle", from the family Tenebrionidae, and tribe Amarygmini. Beetles in this family are medium in size (this specimen about 12-15 mm), all black with an iridescent sheen. Their antennas are medium length, body is stout, and their legs are relatively long. One distinct feature of the genus is the head which is held vertically against the body. I think this gives them a nice streamline effect.
Suburban backyard in Brisbane, Queensland. Commonly found on and under the bark of Eucalyptus trees, under rocks and in leaf litter.
Another good local reference with some excellent photos.... https://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Chalcop...
Spotted on Apr 21, 2020
Submitted on Apr 21, 2020
23 Comments
Much appreciated, Antonio. Thanks :)
Nice series Neil,great info as usal :-) Congrats and thanks for sharing
Thanks, Leuba.
Congratulations Neil !
Wow, this little beetle is a big hit! Not bad for a backyard rescue. Many thanks for this SOTW, and I'm very grateful for all the wonderful comments of congratulations. I am honoured :)
Very nice series Neil,beatifull beetle,congrats on the well deserved SOTW and thanks for sharing
Hey congrats Mr. Ross.
Congratulations with the SOTW and anniversary. Good pictures, because when exposed, many ground beetles move quickly to find shelter.
Congratulations, Neil! Great notes and series.
Though Australia is mostly known for the "huge" spiders and other critters, you never really are shown the beautiful insects of Australia. Nice photo it captures the subject quite well!
Congrats, Neil. Keep 'em coming
Congratulations, Neil. A great way to celebrate your 7th anniversary 🎉
Congrats, Neil.
Congrats, Neil Ross, your spotting has been voted Spotting of the Week!
Project Noah Rangers are grateful for your informative educational posts on the plants and animals of Australia! Happy 7-Year Anniversary!
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pho...
https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/1...
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Many thanks, Brian, ornithoptera80, Saturniidae27, and Dan. These are lovely little beetles, but I seldom see them. I'm also very happy to still be contributing to the site after 7 years, and yeah, that time has flown by. Still slowly plodding towards my first 1K spotting, but I'll get there sooner or later. I'm just enjoying the journey :)
Great spotting Neil! Congratulations on your Anniversary!
That beetle is like a rainbow, great find Neil.
Nice spotting Neil :)
Hey Neil, just did a search on my first spotting, it was Apr 10, 2011 so I just passed my 9 year anniversary. Looks like you joined a couple years after me. Here it is if you missed it haha.
https://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/57...
Nice spotting! Love the purple iridescence. Congrats on the 7 years! Just flies by doesn't it? I remember when you came onto PN years ago, probably about a year after I joined. You've posted a lot of great stuff, lots I'd never seen before. Hope to get back to Oz one day.
Thanks, Tukup. I was once a keen herb gardener, but now am content to plant natives ;)
Happy birthday Neil. So, you have a "pot" plant, huh? No wonder you're always in such good spirits😊. Congratulations on the milestone. Cool bug, too. Thanks.