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Lamprima aurata
The Golden stag beetle (named for the color of the male and his large antennae) is most frequently called the Christmas beetle here in Australia, because it hatches out around Christmas time and because it is brightly colored like a Christmas decoration.
In this instance, dry sclerophyll bushland, but found in much of Australia.
This ia a female, and the first I've seen of this bronze-ish color. Most females have a base color of green with orange iridescence and electric blue legs: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/323... Males are gold, with much larger antennae and mandibles: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/326...
14 Comments
Wonderful color!
Thanks Latimeria, I just posted another one of these females: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/830... I'm still waiting on the males to show up.
Sheesh lori, always wowing us with your Tasmanian beetles. ;)
'Tis the season, Emma. ;)
thanks for sharing!
could you check this out for me lori.....http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/8102467
Oops, comments doing weird things to me.
Atul, it was a combination of natural light (I held her by the window) and a ring flash. I still never think the photos capture their color because so much is caused by iridescent shifts that can't all be captured in one 1/125 second instant.
Exactly right lori - these types of colours really need a short movie.
none the less Lori its a beautifully captured pic !!!
Fabulous colour.
I'll keep an eye open for ours now although it's been pretty cool here so far which might slow them down. Seen a few promising ground holes though.
Watching for your male addition then.
lovely !!
have you used a flash on this one Lori!!
beautiful colors on that one!!
And to you Argy. We've been keeping an eye out for these, and she was our first spotting of the season. Male seem to show up a about week later.
Merry Christmas to you too lori !!