Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Astraeus irregularis   van de Poll, 1889
subfamily  Polycestinae » tribe  Astraeini » subtribe  Astraeina
Astraeus  subgenus: Depollus
Astraeus irregularis   Adult images
Astraeus irregularis, PL0623, male, on Allocasuarina helmsii, EP, 10.7 × 4.0 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL0623, male, on Allocasuarina helmsii, EP, 10.7 × 4.0 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL1856B, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, EP Astraeus irregularis, PL1859, on Allocasuarina helmsii, EP Astraeus irregularis, PL4935, male, from Acacia helmsii (PJL 3532), EP, 12.3 × 4.5 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL0623, male, from Allocasuarina helmsii, EP, 10.7 × 4.0 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL0623, male, on Allocasuarina helmsii, EP, 10.7 × 4.0 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL0623, male, on Allocasuarina helmsii, EP, 10.7 × 4.0 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL0623, male, on Allocasuarina helmsii, EP, 10.7 × 4.0 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL1856B, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, EP Astraeus irregularis, PL1856B, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, EP Astraeus irregularis, PL1859, on Allocasuarina helmsii, EP Astraeus irregularis, PL1859, on Allocasuarina helmsii, EP
Actual
size¹:
11.6 mm
×
4.4 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L111.0
10.5 – 12.3
n = 512.9
12.45 – 13.3
n = 2
L210.8
10.25 – 11.9
n = 412.6
12.2 – 13
n = 2
W4.2
4 – 4.5
n = 54.9
4.8 – 5.05
n = 2
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
Astraeus irregularis  Distinctive features

A highly variable configuration of yellowish lacunae on a on a blackish background.

Notes

A widespread species on foliage of Casuarinas. Well known in WA and first reported for SA by Barker 1977 from east of Kimba, Eyre Peninsula, where there is a localised patch of the shrubby Allocasuarina helmsii. Hawkeswood & Peterson 1982 pointed to the earlier report from Victoria by Goudie 1920, and the species was later recorded in Queensland by (Barker 1989).

Recent records presented here show Astraeus irregularis to be more common in SA than previously thought, being found here also on Allocasuarina muelleriana (Slaty Oakbush), a common and widespread shrub of mallee heath vegetation on sandy soils and dune crests of Eyre Peninsula and the Murray Region.

Beetles often sit on upper stems within the canopy where they are well camouflaged amongst the dappled shadows, but they are shy and readily drop when approached.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EPMU
Australian States:  WASAVICQLD
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 Astraeus irregularis  (total of 46 beetles)
1
1 1 24
18
1
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
live emerged adults, count > median value of 1 per quarter month
live emerged adults, count <= median value of 1
live non-emerged adults only, for that quarter month
12
number of active beetles for that quarter month
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
323EP, MUC
133EPC
Casuarinaceae 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 46 100% 2
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on foliage or non-flowering plant415
on plant (unspecified)52
Astraeus irregularis Breeding record images
Astraeus irregularis, PL5704, male, dead non-emerged adult, in Allocasuarina helmsii (PJL 3623) stem, EP, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 10.8 × 4.1 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL5704, male, dead non-emerged adult, in Allocasuarina helmsii (PJL 3623) stem, EP, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 10.8 × 4.1 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL5704, male, dead non-emerged adult, in Allocasuarina helmsii (PJL 3623) stem, EP, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 10.8 × 4.1 mm Astraeus irregularis, PL5704, male, dead non-emerged adult, from Allocasuarina helmsii (PJL 3623) stem, EP, 10.8 × 4.1 mm
Larval host plant
records sites SA regions¹ family adult dead
11EPC1
Legendrecordscount of breeding adults, pupae and larvae
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
adultlive = extracted alive;   dead = extracted dead as intact or fragmentary remains;   ex billet = reared and emerged from stored sections of host;   ex pupa = reared from sampled pupa
pupaextracted pupa;   pupa ex larva = reared pupa from larva
larvaextracted larva (any stage including prepupa)
gall (only)hatched or unhatched gall identified by form and position rather than contents
Plant names in green are hyperlinked to a matching host species page with plant photos.
Plant family
Code records % host plant taxa
C Casuarinaceae 1 100% 1
Position in larval host
positionrecordssitesadult dead
stem111
Host plant notes

In SA, Astraeus irregularis has only been recorded in the foliage of two shrubby Casuarina species, Allocasuarina helmsii and A. muelleriana. Previously I noted on this web page that these were most likely its larval hosts also. In November 2022, Alex Stolarski and I found a dead adult A. irregularis in a stem of Smooth-cone Oak-bush (A. helmsii), establishing that species' status as a larval host plant. It was found towards the base of a 4 cm diameter stem and there were associated appropriately sized larvae, bearing uniramous grooves on both the dorsal and ventral pro-thoracic plates as is characteristic of Astraeus. As Allocasuarina helmsii only occurs in a small part of the range of A. irregularis in SA, A. muelleriana is most likely the main larval host plant.

In Victoria, Goudie 1920 reported: 'One of my specimens was taken (at Birchip) in its tunnel in a branch of the 'bull-oak,' Casuarina luehmanni [= Allocasuarina luehmannii]. Two others were taken on the foliage of the same tree at Green Lake, near Sea Lake, 21/1/16.' Buloke (Allocasuarina luehmannii) extends a little way into south-eastern SA, but there are currently no SA records of A. irregularis that overlap its distribution.

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.