Lamprima aurata

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Lamprima aurata
Golden stag beetle.jpg
Adult male
Female Golden Stag Beetle.jpg
Adult female
Scientific classification
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Species:
L. aurata
Binomial name
Lamprima aurata
Latreille, 1817
Synonyms

Lamprima cuprea Latreille, 1817
Lamprima latreillii Macleay, 1819
Lamprima pygmaea Macleay, 1819
Lamprima fulgida Boisduval, 1835
Lamprima micardi Reiche, 1841
Lamprima rutilans Erichson, 1842
Lamprima splendens Erichson, 1842
Lamprima viridis Erichson, 1842
Lamprima nigricollis Hope in Westwood, 1845
Lamprima purpurascens Hope in Westwood, 1845
Lamprima sumptuosa Hope in Westwood, 1845
Lamprima tasmaniae Hope in Westwood, 1845
Lamprima varians Burmeister, 1847
Lamprima cultridens Burmeister, 1847
Lamprima amplicollis Thomson, 1862
Lamprima krefftii Macleay, 1871
Lamprima violacea Macleay, 1885
Lamprima mandibularis Macleay, 1885
Lamprima sericea Macleay, 1885
Lamprima nigripennis Macleay, 1885
Lamprima minima Macleay, 1885 Lamprima mariae Lea, 1910
Lamprima coerulea Boileau, 1913
Lamprima insularis Boileau, 1913 (Homo.)

Contents

Lamprima aurata, the golden stag beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Lucanidae. In Tasmania, this species is referred to by the "common name" of Christmas beetle, a name that is normally used for beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, genus Anoplognathus . [1]

Description

This beetle has an oval, shiny body. [2] It measures between 15 and 25 mm in length. It is fairly variable in coloration, so it has been given many names by various authors. [3] The colour of the males is typically metallic golden green or yellow with colorful legs, while females may be blue, blue-green or dull brown. Females are smaller than the males, and males have larger mandibles prolonged forwards used for fighting. [4] [2]

Distribution and habitat

L. aurata is native to Australia and can be found in Tasmania—mainly Victoria—and south-eastern mainland Australia in dry sclerophyll forests. [2]

Of the five species in the genus Lamprima, only two occur on the Australian mainland: L. aurata and the closely related L. imberbis , which live in northeastern New South Wales. [3]

Biology

The larvae are sapro-xylophagous and will spend two years feeding on rotting logs. [1] [2] Adults are free-flying and will move about on the ground during the day and drink the nectar of flowers, especially eucalypts. [2] Males can be found on rotting logs defending their territory. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stag beetle</span> Family of insects

Stag beetles are a family of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family Lucanidae, currently classified in four subfamilies. Some species grow to over 12 centimetres, but most to about 5 cm (2 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarabaeoidea</span> Superfamily of beetles

Scarabaeoidea is a superfamily of beetles, the only subgroup of the infraorder Scarabaeiformia. Around 35,000 species are placed in this superfamily and some 200 new species are described each year. Its constituent families are also undergoing revision presently, and the family list below is only preliminary. This superfamily includes some of the largest beetles extant today, including rhinoceros beetles, (Dynastinae), the Hercules beetle and Goliath beetles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas beetle</span> Genus of beetles

Christmas beetle is a name commonly applied to the Australian beetle genus Anoplognathus, which belongs to the subfamily Rutelinae. They are known as Christmas beetles because they are abundant in both urban and rural areas close to Christmas. Christmas beetles are large members of the scarab family that are noisy and clumsy fliers, similar to the cockchafers of Europe. They typically have elytra that are dark or light brown, or green, while some species have a green-yellow iridescence.

<i>Lucanus cervus</i> Species of beetle

Lucanus cervus, known as the European stag beetle, or the greater stag beetle, is one of the best-known species of stag beetle in Western Europe, and is the eponymous example of the genus. L. cervus is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List.

<i>Lucanus capreolus</i> Species of beetle

Lucanus capreolus, the reddish-brown stag beetle or pinching beetle, is a beetle of the family Lucanidae. The specific name capreolus is derived from Latin, meaning "roe deer". The name refers to the resemblance of the mandibles to deer antlers.

<i>Odontolabis cuvera</i> Species of beetle

Odontolabis cuvera, the golden stag beetle, is a beetle of the family Lucanidae, stag beetles.

<i>Phalacrognathus muelleri</i> Species of beetle

Phalacrognathus muelleri, colloquially known as the rainbow stag beetle, and also the king, magnificent or Mueller's stag beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is found in northern Queensland, Australia and New Guinea. It can come in red, green, black, and blue forms. It is the only species in its genus, Phalacrognathus, which is closely related to the genus Lamprima.

The Lucanidae are a family of beetles that include the stag beetles. The family can be further subdivided in a taxonomy. The classification presented here follows Smith (2006), with the exception of the tribal classification within the Lucaninae.

<i>Sinodendron rugosum</i> Species of beetle

Sinodendron rugosum is a species of the family Lucanidae, the stag beetles. It is commonly referred to as the rugose stag beetle, and is the only known member of the genus Sinodendron to occur in western North America.

<i>Cyclommatus</i> Genus of beetles

Cyclommatus is a genus of the family Lucanidae, also known as the stag beetle. The majority of the species from the genus Cyclommatus are located in Southeast Asia, though some species are found in China and Taiwan as well. The genus Cyclommatus also consists of three subgenera: Cyclommatus, Cyclommatinus and Cyclommatellus. Each subgenera contains 80, 24 and 3 species respectively. In total, the genus Cyclommatus consists of a total of 134 species, though more are still being discovered to this day.

<i>Lamprima</i> Genus of beetles

Lamprima is a genus of beetles in the family Lucanidae that contains five species. They are found in Australasia.

<i>Cicindela aurulenta</i> Species of beetle

Cicindela aurulenta, common name blue-spotted or golden-spotted tiger beetle, is a beetle of the family Cicindelidae.

<i>Paralissotes reticulatus</i> Species of beetle

Paralissotes reticulatus, also called the New Zealand reticulate stag beetle, is a native species of stag beetle from New Zealand. Although they do have wings they are flightless.

<i>Geodorcus helmsi</i> Species of beetle

Geodorcus helmsi,New Zealand giant stag beetle or Helms's stag beetle is a large, slow-moving, flightless stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is endemic to New Zealand.

<i>Anoplognathus brunnipennis</i> Species of beetle

Anoplognathus brunnipennis, commonly known as the brown- or golden-brown Christmas beetle, is a beetle of the family Scarabaeidae native to eastern Australia, being common in coastal Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, the Great Dividing Range and the Murray-Darling river basin.

<i>Geodorcus alsobius</i> Species of beetle

Geodorcus alsobius, or Moehau stag beetle, is a large flightless species of stag beetle in the family Lucanidae. It is found only on Mt Moehau, the highest mountain in the Moehau Range on the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand.

Lamprima imberbis is a species of beetle in the family Lucanidae; for much of its history it was treated as a synonym of Lamprima aurata, but was restored to independent status in 2018.

Lucanus datunensis is a species of stag beetle endemic to the Tatun Mountain of Taiwan's Yangmingshan.It is first discovered in 1984. It is the smallest stag beetle in Taiwan and is an endangered species threatened by recent human activity.

Hexarthrius melchioritis is a species of beetle, which belongs to the family of stag beetles (Lucanidae) in the group Scarabaeoidea.

Chiasognathus sombrus is a beetle which belongs to the family of stag beetles (Lucanidae) in the group Scarabaeoidea.

References

  1. 1 2 "Christmas beetle-mania is in full swing and their traits may surprise you". www.abc.net.au. December 18, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Lamprima aurata Latreille, 1817, Golden Stag Beetle". Museum Victoria. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. 1 2 C.A.M. Reid, K. Smith, M. Beatson (2018) Revision of the Genus Lamprima Latreille, 1804 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae). Zootaxa. 4446(2); 151–202. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4446.2.1
  4. "Golden Stag Beetle (Lamprima aurata)". Beetle Identifications. Retrieved 29 December 2021.