Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Synechocera setosa  
subfamily  Agrilinae » tribe  Coraebini » subtribe  Synechocerina
Synechocera setosa   Adult images
Synechocera setosa, PL4124, male, on Exocarpos sparteus, SE, 4.7 × 1.4 mm Synechocera setosa, PL4124, male, on Exocarpos sparteus, SE, 4.7 × 1.4 mm Synechocera setosa, PL4124, male, on Exocarpos sparteus, SE, 4.7 × 1.4 mm Synechocera setosa, PL4888B, male, from Gahnia deusta, SE, 5.3 × 1.5 mm Synechocera setosa, PL4124, male, on Exocarpos sparteus, SE, 4.7 × 1.4 mm Synechocera setosa, PL4124, male, on Exocarpos sparteus, SE, 4.7 × 1.4 mm Synechocera setosa, PL4124, male, on Exocarpos sparteus, SE, 4.7 × 1.4 mm
Actual
size¹:
5.0 mm
×
1.4 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L15.1
4.5 – 5.55
 n = 224.8
4.4 – 5.5
 n = 5
L25.0
4.45 – 5.5
 n = 224.8
4.4 – 5.45
 n = 5
W1.4
1.2 – 1.5
 n = 221.4
1.3 – 1.65
 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
Synechocera setosa  Distinctive features

Differs from S. deplana by the much more conspicous mid-dense setose hairs extending across its dorsal surfaces.

Notes

Likely to be common and widespread across southern SA in limestone areas where its larval host plant, Heathy Saw-sedge (Gahnia deusta), occurs. This host association is well documented here for the SE Region, while the EP occurrence is based on observations of G. deusta culms showing the distinctive yellowish frass-filled tunnels made by this species, at Bascombe Well C.P. on western Eyre Peninsula. Synechoocera setosa has been collected from Kangaroo Island on G. deusta by R.V. Glatz (pers. comm., 2022), and it can be expected to occur in MU, YP, and SL Regions also.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EP,  KI,  SE
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 Synechocera setosa  (total of 41 beetles)
4 15
1 14
1 1 5
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
live emerged adults, count > median value of 4 per quarter month
live emerged adults, count <= median value of 4
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
Gahnia deusta342SEC1
Exocarpos sparteus42SES
Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana31SEC2
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
C1 Cyperaceae 34 83% 1
S Santalaceae 4 10% 1
C2 Casuarinaceae 3 7% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flowering plant161
on foliage or non-flowering plant52
on plant (unspecified)202
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
light pink11SE
Synechocera setosa Breeding record images
Synechocera setosa, PL5527A, larva, in Gahnia deusta culm, SE, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 10.4 × 1.0 mm Synechocera setosa, PL5527A, larva, from Gahnia deusta culm, SE, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 10.4 × 1.0 mm Synechocera setosa, PL5527C, larva, in Gahnia deusta culm (PJL3570), SE, 7.9 × 0.8 mm Synechocera setosa, PL5527C, larva, in Gahnia deusta culm (PJL3570), SE, 7.9 × 0.8 mm Synechocera setosa, PL5527C, larva, from Gahnia deusta culm (PJL3570), SE, 7.9 × 0.8 mm
Larval host plant
records sites SA regions¹ family larva
Gahnia deusta31SEC3
Legendrecordscount of breeding adults, pupae and larvae
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
adultlive = extracted alive;   dead = extracted dead as intact or fragmentary remains;   ex billet = reared and emerged from stored sections of host;   ex pupa = reared from sampled pupa
pupaextracted pupa;   pupa ex larva = reared pupa from larva
larvaextracted larva (any stage including prepupa)
gall (only)hatched or unhatched gall identified by form and position rather than contents
Plant names in green are hyperlinked to a matching host species page with plant photos.
Plant family
Code records % host plant taxa
C Cyperaceae 3 100% 1
Position in larval host
positionrecordssiteslarva
culm313
Host plant notes

Heathy Saw-sedge (Gahnia deusta) was suspected to be a larval host plant for this species well before breeding evidence was found, inferred from the specialized use of other Gahnia species by S. deplana and the habitats involved. Although adults had only been recorded in small numbers from two shrub species in January 2018, targeted searching of Gahnia deusta was undertaken. Substantial numbers were eventually found on G. deusta in November 2020. The first breeding records for S. setosa were discovered earlier, in February 2019, when elongate Agrilinae larvae were extracted by A.M.P. Stolarski from (G. deusta) culms at the site where the first adults had 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.