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Project Noah Nature School
Castiarina octomaculata
This orange jewel beetle is a mimic of a ladybird beetle. This common species is dependent on flowering tea tree and times its emergence with the short flowering season. They are most prolific on the warmest days. I have not observed mating behavior before and it provides a great confirmation of the dimorphism between sexes.
Feeding on flowering tea tree in a national park.
Spotted on Oct 12, 2014
Submitted on Oct 12, 2014
2 Comments
Thanks Mark.
This is the other common one that I expected to find today. Only one. There are several other species that we will find here this season.
We might need another few hot days.
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/935...
Ah great find Martin. The male looks considerably smaller. No sign of the blue/orange one today I suppose?