Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Castiarina chinnocki   (Barker, 1983)
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Stigmoderini » subtribe  Stigmoderina
Castiarina  species group: cupricauda
Castiarina chinnocki   Adult images
Castiarina chinnocki, PL0353A, female, on Eremophila scoparia, MU, 11.1 × 4.2 mm Castiarina chinnocki, PL0481, on Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum, EP Castiarina chinnocki, on Eremophila scoparia, MU Castiarina chinnocki, PL0481B, on Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum, EP, 9.7 × 3.5 mm Castiarina chinnocki, PL0353C, male, from Eremophila scoparia, MU, 10.1 × 3.8 mm Castiarina chinnocki, PL0353D, male, on Eremophila scoparia, MU, 10.0 × 3.8 mm Castiarina chinnocki, on Eremophila scoparia, MU Castiarina chinnocki, PL0481B, male, on Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum, EP, 9.7 × 3.5 mm Castiarina chinnocki, PL0481B, male, on Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum, EP, 9.7 × 3.5 mm Castiarina chinnocki, PL0481, on Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum, EP Castiarina chinnocki, on Eremophila scoparia, MU Castiarina chinnocki, on Eremophila scoparia, MU Castiarina chinnocki, on Eremophila scoparia, MU Castiarina chinnocki, on Eremophila scoparia, MU Castiarina chinnocki, PL0353D, male, on Eremophila scoparia, MU, 10.0 × 3.8 mm Castiarina chinnocki, PL0481A, female, from Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum, EP, 10.3 × 3.9 mm Castiarina chinnocki, PL0481A, female, on Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum, EP, 10.3 × 3.9 mm Castiarina chinnocki, PL0481B, male, on Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum, EP, 9.7 × 3.5 mm
Actual
size¹:
10.2 mm
×
3.8 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L19.8
8.6 – 10.7
 n = 910.8
10.3 – 11.2
 n = 5
L210.6
 n = 1
W3.6
3.05 – 4
 n = 94.0
3.7 – 4.2
 n = 5
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
Distribution
SA Regions¹:  MU,  EP
Australian States:  WA,  SA
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 Castiarina chinnocki  (total of 89 beetles)
1 3 3 14
22 10 1
17 16
2
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
live emerged adults, count > median value of 10 per quarter month
live emerged adults, count <= median value of 10
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
Eremophila scoparia489EP, MUS
Myoporum platycarpum375MUS
Myoporum platycarpum ssp. platycarpum32EP, MUS
Myoporum sp.11MUS
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
S Scrophulariaceae 89 100% 3
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)2210
on flowering plant182
on foliage or non-flowering plant123
on plant (unspecified)373
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
blue72EP, MU
Host plant notes

The fact that this species is associated in high frequencies with both the violet-coloured flowers of Broom Emubush Eremophila scoparia and the white flowers of Sugarwood Myoporum platycarpum suggests that the attraction may be based on a plant chemical rather than colour. Both these species were formerly classified in family Myoporaceae, but are now included in Scrophulariaceae.

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.