Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Castiarina media   (Hope, 1847)
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Stigmoderini » subtribe  Stigmoderina
Castiarina  species group: scalaris
Castiarina media   Adult images
Castiarina media, PL0316, female, on Leptospermum continentale, SL, 10.8 × 3.9 mm Castiarina media, PL0056, male, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 8.2 × 2.8 mm Castiarina media, PL2724, on Hysterobaeckea behrii, EP Castiarina media, PL0831A, EP Castiarina media, PL0362A, SL, 11.1 × 3.9 mm Castiarina media, DAY162, from Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, KI, 9.5 × 3.4 mm Castiarina media, PL0056, male, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 8.2 × 2.8 mm Castiarina media, PL0056, male, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 8.2 × 2.8 mm Castiarina media, PL0056, male, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 8.2 × 2.8 mm Castiarina media, PL0056, male, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 8.2 × 2.8 mm Castiarina media, PL0362D, male, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL, 10.3 × 3.6 mm Castiarina media, PL0362C, female, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL, 10.6 × 3.8 mm Castiarina media, PL0362C, female, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL, 10.6 × 3.8 mm Castiarina media, PL0383, male, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL Castiarina media, PL2724, on Hysterobaeckea behrii, EP Castiarina media, PL0831A, EP Castiarina media, PL0831A, EP Castiarina media, PL0831A, EP Castiarina media, PL0831A, EP
Actual
size¹:
10.8 mm
×
3.8 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L110.5
8.2 – 12
n = 1411.3
10.6 – 12.2
n = 9
L210.5
8.75 – 11.6
n = 610.9
10.75 – 11.05
n = 2
W3.7
2.8 – 4.25
n = 144.1
3.8 – 4.6
n = 9
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
Notes

This is a late spring to early summer species that is often found together with C. crenata. The emergence of these two Buprestids coincides with the peak flowering of Sweet Bursaria Bursaria spinosa, a principal adult host plant for them both.

The Mt Lofty Ranges populations of C. media tend to have heavier dark markings on their elytra compared to those on Eyre Peninsula, and to those on Kangaroo Island, especially, where the posterior fascia is may be reduced to two widely separated small patches.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EPNLMUSLKISE
Australian States:  SAVIC
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 media  (total actual records: 281 beetles)
1
1
1 10
4 8 3
4 19 21 55
30 13 86 8
15 1 3
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 > 9 (median)
actual count <= 9 (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
18213SL, KI, SEP1
293EP, MU, SLM
Leptospermum sp.137MU, SL, KIM
104SL, KIM
Eucalyptus sp.62EP, MUM
62EPP2
52KIM
43SL, KI, SEM
42KIP2
31SLA
32EP, KIM
21KIM
11KIE
11SEM
11EPM
11MUS
*Kunzea ambigua11SLM
11EPM
*Poaceae sp.11SLP3
Senecio sp. Senecio sp.11SLA
Legendbeetlescount of beetles collected from, or sighted on, host plant taxon
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
*indicates alien (non-native) plant occurrences, either wild or planted (the species may be alien in SA, or native in parts of its SA range)
Plant names in green are hyperlinked to a matching host species page with plant photos.
Plant family
Code beetles % host plant taxa
P1 Pittosporaceae 182 66% 1
M Myrtaceae 76 28% 10
P2 Proteaceae 10 4% 2
A Asteraceae 4 1% 2
E Euphorbiaceae 1 0% 1
P3 Poaceae 1 0% 1
S Santalaceae 1 0% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)10819
on flowering plant3012
on foliage or non-flowering plant22
on plant (unspecified)13516
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
white124EP, SL, SE
blue63KI, SE
light pink11SE
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.