Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Castiarina colorata   (Hope, 1847)
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Stigmoderini » subtribe  Stigmoderina
Castiarina  species group: flavopicta
Castiarina colorata   Adult images
Castiarina colorata, PL2867A, female, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 10.1 × 3.7 mm Castiarina colorata, PL2867A, female, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 10.1 × 3.7 mm Castiarina colorata, PL2867B, male, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 8.6 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL0218, on Leptospermum myrsinoides, SL, 8.5 × 3.0 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, male, from Olearia ramulosa, SL, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL5856, female, from Olearia ramulosa stem base as prepupa, SL, 9.8 × 3.6 mm Castiarina colorata, PL0218, on Leptospermum myrsinoides, SL, 8.5 × 3.0 mm Castiarina colorata, PL0218, on Leptospermum myrsinoides, SL, 8.5 × 3.0 mm Castiarina colorata, PL2867B, male, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 8.6 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL0222, male, on Leptospermum myrsinoides, SL, 8.5 × 3.0 mm Castiarina colorata, PL1206, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL Castiarina colorata, PL1206, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL Castiarina colorata, PL1207B, female, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL, 10.0 × 3.6 mm
Actual
size¹:
8.8 mm
×
3.1 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L18.7
6.7 – 11.4
n = 209.3
7.8 – 10.1
n = 7
L28.3
7.8 – 8.7
n = 89.0
7.55 – 9.8
n = 3
W3.1
2.3 – 4.1
n = 203.3
2.7 – 3.7
n = 7
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 colorata  Distinctive features

The most distinctive forms have a greyish head, pronotum and ventral side, and the elytral markings reduced on the anterior half and blackish with violet reflections over a pale yellowish-cream background.

Notes

This species is related to, and appears to intergrade with, Castiarina flavopicta. Apparent intergrades have the head, pronotum and ventral sides more brightly coloured in metallic blue or green, sometimes combined with heavier elytral markings on a more yellow background.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  FRYPSLKI
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 colorata  (total of 175 beetles)
4 3
5 9 16 32
9 6 2 16
51 12 7 1
1
1
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
live emerged adults, count > median value of 7 per quarter month
live emerged adults, count <= median value of 7
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
929SL, KIP1
408SL, KIM
71KIM
Leptospermum sp.74SL, KIM
64SLM
*Kunzea ambigua42SLM
11KIM
11KIM
11KIP2
11KIM
11KIM
11KIM
11KIS
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 92 58% 1
M Myrtaceae 65 41% 8
P2 Proteaceae 1 1% 1
S Scrophulariaceae 1 1% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)10410
on flowering plant4115
on plant (unspecified)1810
Castiarina colorata Breeding record images
Castiarina colorata, PL4262, pupa, in Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3355) stem, SL, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 9.0 × 3.2 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4262, pupa, in Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3355) stem, SL, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 9.0 × 3.2 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, pupa, in Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3356) stem, SL, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, pupa, in Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3356) stem, SL, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, male, pupa, from Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3356) stem, SL, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, male, reared adult, from Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3356) stem as pupa, SL, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4262, male, reared adult, from Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3355) stem as pupa, SL, 9.0 × 3.2 mm Castiarina colorata, PL5856, female, reared adult, from Olearia ramulosa stem base as prepupa, SL, 9.8 × 3.6 mm
Larval host plant
records sites SA regions¹ family adult deadadult ex pupapupapupa ex larvalarva
82SLA13211
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
A Asteraceae 8 100% 1
Position in larval host
positionrecordssitesadult deadadult ex pupapupapupa ex larvalarva
stem base421111
stem4122
Host plant notes

Adults are associated with white nectar-rich flowers in which they feed, particularly Bursaria spinosa as well as a variety of Myrtaceae species.

A.M.P. Stolarski discovered this species breeding in the stems of a Daisy-bush species that is currently known in SA as Olearia ramulosa. The same genus is also used as a larval host by the closely related C. flavopicta.

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.