Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Castiarina crux   (Saunders, 1868)
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Stigmoderini » subtribe  Stigmoderina
Castiarina  species group: crux
Castiarina crux   Adult images
Castiarina crux, PL0524, male, on Eucalyptus socialis, MU, 12.8 × 4.9 mm Castiarina crux, PL0524, male, on Eucalyptus socialis, MU, 12.8 × 4.9 mm Castiarina crux, PL0524, male, from Eucalyptus socialis, MU, 12.8 × 4.9 mm Castiarina crux, PL0524, male, on Eucalyptus socialis, MU, 12.8 × 4.9 mm
Actual
size¹:
11.8 mm
×
4.4 mm
Measurements (mm)
male
L111.8
10.7 – 12.8
 n = 2
L210.4
 n = 1
W4.4
3.9 – 4.9
 n = 2
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
Notes

The SA occurrences in the Murray Region are presumably an extension of the Victorian population in the Big and Little Deserts. The closely related and very similar Castiarina nota was described by Barker 1990 and distinguished from C. crux by its narrower aedeagus and dark blue (rather than blue) elytral markings. That species occurs on Eyre Peninsula and is isolated from C. crux by the Mt Lofty Ranges, and the St Vincent and Spencer Gulfs. However an investigation into the degree and consistency of differences between the two species populations is warranted.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  MU,  SE
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 crux  (total actual records: 2 beetles)
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 > 1 (mean)
actual count <= 1 (mean)
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Eucalyptus socialis11MUM
Grevillea pterosperma11SEP
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 1 50% 1
P Proteaceae 1 50% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flowering plant22
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.