Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Castiarina creta   Barker, 1990
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Stigmoderini » subtribe  Stigmoderina
Castiarina  species group: decemmaculata
Castiarina creta   Adult images
Castiarina creta, PL0301B, male, on Hysterobaeckea behrii, EP, 10.7 × 3.7 mm Castiarina creta, PL0301B, male, on Hysterobaeckea behrii, EP, 10.7 × 3.7 mm Castiarina creta, PL0301B, male, from Hysterobaeckea behrii, EP, 10.7 × 3.7 mm Castiarina creta, PL0299B, male, from Hysterobaeckea behrii, EP, 8.6 × 3.0 mm Castiarina creta, PL0480, male, from Homoranthus wilhelmii, EP, 11.0 × 3.9 mm Castiarina creta, PL0301B, male, on Hysterobaeckea behrii, EP, 10.7 × 3.7 mm Castiarina creta, PL0301B, male, on Hysterobaeckea behrii, EP, 10.7 × 3.7 mm Castiarina creta, PL0480, male, on Homoranthus wilhelmii, EP, 11.0 × 3.9 mm Castiarina creta, PL0480, male, on Homoranthus wilhelmii, EP, 11.0 × 3.9 mm Castiarina creta, PL0480, on Homoranthus wilhelmii, EP, 11.0 × 3.9 mm
Actual
size¹:
10.3 mm
×
3.6 mm
Measurements (mm)
male
L110.3
8.6 – 11
 n = 4
W3.6
3 – 3.85
 n = 4
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 creta  Distinctive features

Elytra (pale) yellow with brown-orange margins; underside pale yellow. It differs from Castiarina rediviva (as applied in SA) in having the elytral background colour predominantly yellow rather than orange, and from C. pallidiventris in having the elytral margin only slightly differentiated, being a pale dirty orange rather than red.

Notes

An endemic SA species from eastern and northern Eyre Peninsula. In the original description Barker 1990 regarded it as being closest to Castiarina elderi from central Australia. However it also appears very similar to C. rediviva and C. pallidiventris, and is known to co-occur with both. It possibly only represents intergrading forms between those two species.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EP
Australian States:  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 Castiarina creta  (total actual records: 12 beetles)
2 3 1
2 4
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 > 2 (median)
actual count <= 2 (median)
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Leptospermum coriaceum54EPM
Hysterobaeckea behrii41EPM
Homoranthus wilhelmii11EPM
Melaleuca pauperiflora ssp. mutica11EPM
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
M Myrtaceae 11 100% 4
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)52
on plant (unspecified)65
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
white11EP
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.