Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Anilara cf. aeraria   Carter, 1926
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Curidini » subtribe  Anilarina
Anilara cf. aeraria   Adult images
Anilara cf. aeraria, PL3773, female, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SL, 4.8 × 2.0 mm Anilara cf. aeraria, PL3773, female, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SL, 4.8 × 2.0 mm Anilara cf. aeraria, PL3408E, male, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SE, 4.0 × 1.7 mm Anilara cf. aeraria, PL3467, male, from Allocasuarina muelleriana foliage, SL, 4.4 × 1.8 mm Anilara cf. aeraria, PL3408A, male, from Allocasuarina muelleriana foliage, SE, 4.5 × 1.9 mm Anilara cf. aeraria, PL3408E, male, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SE, 4.0 × 1.7 mm
Actual
size¹:
4.5 mm
×
1.8 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L14.3
3.75 – 4.95
n = 394.6
3.85 – 5.35
n = 25
L24.2
3.6 – 4.8
n = 334.4
3.75 – 5.2
n = 24
W1.8
1.55 – 2
n = 391.9
1.5 – 2.2
n = 25
Legend  L1length from clypeus/frons to elytral apex (mean, range, sample size)
L2length from anterior of edge of eyes to elytral apex
Wmaximum width with elytra fully closed
Anilara cf. aeraria  Distinctive features

Very shiny golden-bronze above, subcylindrical shape. Head with shallow sulcus extending from vertex one third of the way down the frons. Pronotum basal margin gently deflexed towards outer corners. Aedeagus with dark raised thickened edges to parameres, but their tips sharply narrowed and colourless; the centromere mid-brown and relatively broad with a slightly blunt acute-angled apex.

Notes

Anilara aeraria was included as a new species in the revision of Anilara by Carter 1926, based on type material from WA. It separates very simply using Carter's key: the shiny brassy-bronze colouration places it with A. purpurascens, from which it differs by its sub-cylindrical shape and by each elytron having two carinules. In Carter's description these are only 'subcarinate impressions', one extending diagonally from shoulder to apex, the other forming a 'pseudomargin'.

Recognition of this species from the type specimens may have been compromised by their dark blackish appearance which is an artefact. On p. 56 Carter noted: 'On removing the specimens from the cards by immersion in hot water I find that the brassy sheen has been unfortunately changed to a darker bronze'.

Ten years later, Carter 1936 described as a new species the very similar A. subimpressa, also from WA material. This species is of a similar size, 4-5 x 2 mm (vs 4-5 x 1.8-2 mm) and 'shiny bright bronze above'. The elytra also have weak ribbing but this time only a single diagonal 'subcostate impression' which does not extend much beyond the basal third of the elytron. In distinguishing it from A. subcostata, 'the only other subcostate species,' he appears to overlook A. aeraria. The holotype of A. aeraria at SA Museum has weak carinae or costae on the elytra not greatly different from those in many specimens of A. subcostata where they vary in prominence and extent.

I am unable to satisfactorily separate A. subimpressa from A. aeraria and consider that it is possibly synonymous with the latter.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EPSLSE
Australian States:  WASAVIC
Southern South Australian occurrences
LegendP.J.Lang collection vouchered records
other private collection or museum specimens, or sightings
Satellite map
Terrain map
Enlarge map
Adult activity records for Anilara cf. aeraria  (total actual records: 92 beetles)
1
6
4 2 42
2 16 7 6
6
1
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
9
number of active beetles, actually recorded in that quarter-month
2
estimate of active beetles, inferred* from adjoining date ranges
actual count > 6 (median)
actual count <= 6 (median)
 *Inferred when a site has counts of active beetles for each of two consecutive periods (date ranges), one finishing and the other starting in the same quarter-month.
The count estimate is assigned to that quarter-month and calculated as the lower of the two total beetle counts, divided by the number of quarter-months in its date range.
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
908MU, SL, SEC
11SEF
Allocasuarina sp.11EPC
Legendbeetlescount of beetles collected from, or sighted on, host plant taxon
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
Plant names in green are hyperlinked to a matching host species page with plant photos.
Plant family
Code beetles % host plant taxa
C Casuarinaceae 91 99% 1
F Fabaceae 1 1% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on foliage or non-flowering plant807
on plant (unspecified)123
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
blue41SE
purple-pink11SE
yellow11SE
Host plant notes

The adults are strongly associated with Common Oak-bush Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana in SA, which is considered to be a likely candidate for larval host also.

¹ LegendregionsSA State Herbarium regions (map)
EA: Eastern, EP: Eyre Peninsula, FR: Flinders Ranges, GT: Gairdner-Torrens, KI: Kangaroo Island, LE: Lake Eyre, MU: Murray, NL: Northern Lofty, NU: Nullarbor, NW: North-Western, SE: South-Eastern, SL: Southern Lofty, YP: Yorke Peninsula
sizeThe ellipse is the correct size when printed, indicative on a desktop screen, and likely to be wrong on a mobile device.