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 (last updated: 3 Jan 2024)
Castiarina colorata, PL2867A, female, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 3.6 km W Rocky River visitor centre, Flinders Chase NP, 26 Nov 2013, 10.1 × 3.7 mm Castiarina colorata, PL2867A, female, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 3.6 km W Rocky River visitor centre, Flinders Chase NP, 26 Nov 2013, 10.1 × 3.7 mm Castiarina colorata, PL2867B, male, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 3.6 km W Rocky River visitor centre, Flinders Chase NP, 26 Nov 2013, 8.6 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL0218, on Leptospermum myrsinoides, SL, 1.1 km NW Black Hill summit, Black Hill CP, 17 Oct 2007, 8.5 × 3.0 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, male, from Olearia ramulosa, SL, 3.2 km SW Myponga, 13 Oct 2018, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL5856, female, from Olearia ramulosa stem base as prepupa, SL, 0.5 km SSE Mt Barker summit, 11 Oct 2023, 9.8 × 3.6 mm Castiarina colorata, PL0218, on Leptospermum myrsinoides, SL, 1.1 km NW Black Hill summit, Black Hill CP, 17 Oct 2007, 8.5 × 3.0 mm Castiarina colorata, PL0218, on Leptospermum myrsinoides, SL, 1.1 km NW Black Hill summit, Black Hill CP, 17 Oct 2007, 8.5 × 3.0 mm Castiarina colorata, PL2867B, male, on Leptospermum continentale, KI, 3.6 km W Rocky River visitor centre, Flinders Chase NP, 26 Nov 2013, 8.6 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL0222, male, on Leptospermum myrsinoides, SL, 1.1 km NW Black Hill summit, Black Hill CP, 17 Oct 2007, 8.5 × 3.0 mm Castiarina colorata, PL1206, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL, 0.25 km NNE Mt Barker summit, 1 Jan 2010 Castiarina colorata, PL1206, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL, 0.25 km NNE Mt Barker summit, 1 Jan 2010 Castiarina colorata, PL1207B, female, on Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa, SL, 0.25 km N Mt Barker summit, 1 Jan 2010, 10.0 × 3.6 mm
Actual
size¹:
8.7 mm
×
3.1 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L18.4
6.7 – 9.2
n = 189.4
7.8 – 10.2
n = 8
L28.3
7.8 – 8.7
n = 89.3
7.55 – 10.1
n = 4
W3.0
2.3 – 3.3
n = 183.4
2.7 – 3.9
n = 8
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:  FR,  YP,  SL,  KI
Australian States:  SA,  VIC
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 actual records: 192 beetles)
4 3
5 9 22 30
12 6 6 20
52 13 7 1
1
1
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
9
number of active beetles, actually recorded in that quarter-month
actual count > 6.5 (median)
actual count <= 6.5 (median)
live non-emerged (inactive) beetles only
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
10210SL, KIP1
4710SL, KIM
Leptospermum sp.74SL, KIM
64SLM
51KIM
*Kunzea ambigua52SLM
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 102 57% 1
M Myrtaceae 75 42% 9
P2 Proteaceae 1 1% 1
S Scrophulariaceae 1 1% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)12312
on flowering plant3815
on plant (unspecified)1810
Castiarina colorata Breeding record images (last updated: 3 Jan 2024)
Castiarina colorata, PL4262, pupa, in Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3355) stem, SL, 3.2 km SW Myponga, 14 Oct 2018, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 9.0 × 3.2 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4262, pupa, in Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3355) stem, SL, 3.2 km SW Myponga, 14 Oct 2018, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 9.0 × 3.2 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, pupa, in Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3356) stem, SL, 3.2 km SW Myponga, 13 Oct 2018, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, pupa, in Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3356) stem, SL, 3.2 km SW Myponga, 13 Oct 2018, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, male, pupa, from Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3356) stem, SL, 3.2 km SW Myponga, 13 Oct 2018, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4263, male, reared adult, from Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3356) stem as pupa, SL, 3.2 km SW Myponga, 13 Oct 2018, 8.8 × 3.1 mm Castiarina colorata, PL4262, male, reared adult, from Olearia ramulosa (PJL 3355) stem as pupa, SL, 3.2 km SW Myponga, 14 Oct 2018, 9.0 × 3.2 mm Castiarina colorata, PL5856, female, reared adult, from Olearia ramulosa stem base as prepupa, SL, 0.5 km SSE Mt Barker summit, 11 Oct 2023, 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.