Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges  
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Stigmoderini » subtribe  Stigmoderina
Castiarina  species group: sexplagiata
Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges   Adult images
Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges, PL1067, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, EP, 9.0 × 3.3 mm Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges, PL1067, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, EP, 9.0 × 3.3 mm Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges, PL1067, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, EP, 9.0 × 3.3 mm Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges, PL2565B, female, from Eucalyptus socialis ssp. socialis, FR, 11.7 × 4.4 mm Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges, AMS 41208, from Bursaria spinosa flowers, NL, photo by Allen Sundholm Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges, AMS 41209, from Bursaria spinosa flowers, NL, photo by Allen Sundholm Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges, AMS, from Bursaria spinosa flowers, FR, photo by Allen Sundholm
Actual
size¹:
10.3 mm
×
3.7 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L18.9
n = 110.7
9.5 – 11.7
n = 3
L210.0
9.2 – 11.25
n = 3
W3.2
n = 13.8
3.35 – 4.4
n = 3
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
Castiarina sp. Flinders Ranges  Distinctive features

Elytral background light orange, slightly darker on margins, fasciae usually complete but less heavy than in C. vanderwoudeae, and body shape thinner and less convex.

Notes

This potential new taxon is based on several specimens from the Flinders Ranges and nearby areas that were formerly assigned to C. vanderwoudeae. However, none were found on the adult host plant associated with that species (Broom Emubush Eremophila scoparia) despite it growing in the area. They also tend to be more orange with slight differences in body shape and markings. Some exhibit a suggestion of the two-toned elytral background found in C. nullaborica (q.v.), being somewhat yellow-orange medially with the margins a more reddish dirty orange, raising the possibility of a link with that species through introgression or incomplete separation. They also show some similarities with other species in the C. sexplagiata group, sharing the orange elytral background of C. keyzeri and the mostly complete fasciae of C. piliventris. They are treated here as a separate entity, but investigation of the whole C. sexplagiata complex is warranted.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  FREP
Australian States:  SA
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 sp. Flinders Ranges  (total of 7 beetles)
2 1 3
1
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
live emerged adults, count > median value of 2 per quarter month
live emerged adults, count <= median value of 2
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
43FR, EPP
31FRM
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
P Pittosporaceae 4 57% 1
M Myrtaceae 3 43% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)43
on flowering plant31
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.