DCP_1931 14.18On the fire trail.
GPS S 30° 59' 50.1" E 151° 56' 26.3" Apsley S 30° 59' 55.7" E 151° 56' 23.1"
Apsley Grid Reference 987.78 700.48
DCP_1931 14.18
On the fire trail.
GPS S 30° 59' 50.1" E 151° 56' 26.3"
Apsley S 30° 59' 55.7" E 151° 56' 23.1"
Apsley Grid Reference 987.78 700.48
DCP_1933 14.24
Jewel beetles on Acacia filicifolia. There were thousands of these on every tree of this species. They had almost completely stripped some of them bare. They were able to tell when you approached them, and started to drop off. Many more dropped off and flew away when the branch was tapped lightly.
Text below from:
http://www.ento.csiro.au/Ecowatch/Primary/beetles/pages/Melobasis_species.htm
Members of the Buprestidae family are commonly known as jewel beetles and as their name suggests, most species are attractively coloured in metallic tinted patterns, usually of yellow, blue, red and orange. These beetles are likely to be some of the most easily recognisable due to their striking colouration and in the past have been used by native people to make jewellery and other personal ornaments for hair or clothing. Most jewel beetles in Australia are strikingly coloured and range in size from 8 to 30 millimetres. Adults are mostly elongate in shape and slightly flattened in appearance. All species are well protected with tough elytra and a short head which fits closely into a broad thorax. They have large eyes with short antennae, and their legs can be retracted against the body for protection. Jewel beetles have well-developed wings and are capable fliers, often flying rapidly across considerable distances especially when disturbed. Most species are nectar feeders and can often be found among the flowers of native plants.
The larvae of jewel beetles are predominantly wood borers who tunnel in the branches, stems or roots of trees and shrubs. A few species are also known to be leaf miners or gall formers. Larvae look like fleshy, white, legless grubs with strong mandibles. They pupate inside the wood of the host plant and when ready to emerge, the adults bore their way to the outside. On emerging the adults feed, mate and then die in a relatively short time. The life span of jewel beetles is short and depending on the species, adult beetles may live for just one or two days up to about two weeks.
The jewel beetle genus Melobasis has many hard to identify species nationwide. Most adult and larval stages of Melobasis are associated with Acacia species, where adults are occasionally found among the blossoms. The larvae of this group can be found tunnelling in Acacia branches.
GPS S 30° 59' 46.2" E 151° 56' 28.9"
Apsley S 30° 59' 51.8" E 151° 56' 25.7"
Apsley Grid Reference 988.46 701.69