A large distinctive black and yellow beetle of glossy appearance.

A genus of six species associated with Banksia in both western and eastern Australia. The genus Banksia is poorly represented in SA with only two native species present, and the sole species of Cyrioides recorded, C. imperialis - an eastern species, appears to be very rare here. There are only three collections in the SA Museum, all from the Mt Lofty Ranges. In his 'Common native insects of South Australia', Tepper 1887 noted that 'they appear to be very local'.

Tepper 1887 reported that 'the larvae inhabit Banksia marginata (the Native Honeysuckle), on the flowers and leaves of which the beetles are also found about Christmas'. That C. imperialis breeds in Banksia was confirmed by French 1900 for B. integrifolia in coastal southern Victoria where he describes larvae often chewing down into the main root system 8 to 10 inches below ground, and reports finding one in the tap-root of a Banksia of small size.