Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Diphucrania aenigma   (Barker, 2006)
subfamily  Agrilinae » tribe  Coraebini » subtribe  Cisseina
Diphucrania aenigma   Adult images
Diphucrania aenigma, PL0257, on Calytrix tetragona (found on stem), SL, 7.3 × 3.1 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL0044A, PL0044B, female and male, on Leucopogon rufus, SL Diphucrania aenigma, PL1040, male, on Acacia pycnantha, NL, 6.1 × 2.6 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL0257, female, from Calytrix tetragona stem, SL, 7.3 × 3.1 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL0024, female, from Leucopogon parviflorus, SE, 6.3 × 2.7 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL2068, female, from Leucopogon rufus, SL, 7.4 × 3.2 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL0044A, female, on Leucopogon rufus, SL, 7.2 × 3.1 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL0044B, male, on Leucopogon rufus, SL, 6.4 × 2.8 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL0257, female, on Calytrix tetragona (found on stem), SL, 7.3 × 3.1 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL0257, female, on Calytrix tetragona (found on stem), SL, 7.3 × 3.1 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL1040, male, on Acacia pycnantha, NL, 6.1 × 2.6 mm Diphucrania aenigma, PL2076A, male, on Leucopogon rufus, SL Diphucrania aenigma, PL2076A, PL2076B, adult host plant, host Leucopogon rufus, SL Diphucrania aenigma, PL2076A, PL2076B, adult host plant, host Leucopogon rufus, SL
Actual
size¹:
6.5 mm
×
2.8 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L16.4
6.1 – 6.7
 n = 96.7
5.85 – 7.4
 n = 6
L26.4
6.1 – 6.65
 n = 56.1
5.9 – 6.3
 n = 2
W2.7
2.5 – 2.8
 n = 92.9
2.5 – 3.2
 n = 6
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
Diphucrania aenigma  Distinctive features

Elytra black with scattered irregular white hair-scale patches. Head, pronotum and scutellum copper to gold in females, green in males.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EP,  NL,  SL,  SE
Australian States:  SA,  VIC
Southern South Australia distribution
LegendP.J.Lang collection vouchered records
other private collection or museum specimens, or sightings
Satellite map
Terrain map
Enlarge map
Adult activity records for Diphucrania aenigma  (total of 37 beetles)
2 4 2
17 7
1 2
1
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
Leucopogon rufus182SLE
Leptospermum coriaceum63EPM
Leucopogon parviflorus32SEE
Hysterobaeckea behrii31SEM
Grevillea pterosperma21SEP
Acacia pycnantha11NLF
Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana11EPC
Calytrix tetragona11SLM
Hakea mitchellii11SEP
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 family
Code beetles % host plant taxa
E Ericaceae 21 58% 2
M Myrtaceae 10 28% 3
P Proteaceae 3 8% 2
C Casuarinaceae 1 3% 1
F Fabaceae 1 3% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)22
on flowering plant83
on foliage or non-flowering plant185
on plant (unspecified)62
other
  on stems21
Host plant notes

Adults have been collected from two species of Beard-heaths Leucopogon, with large numbers found on one of these, Ruddy Beard-heath L. rufus. It is suspected that Leucopogon and possibly other Heaths (family Ericaceae, formerly Epacridaceae} may be larval hosts. There is some support for this with a dead larva of subfamily Agrilinae being discovered in the stem base of a L. rufus plant on which adults had previously been collected.

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.