Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Diphucrania leucosticta   (Kirby, 1818)
subfamily  Agrilinae » tribe  Coraebini » subtribe  Cisseina
Diphucrania  species group: leucosticta
Diphucrania leucosticta   Adult images
Diphucrania leucosticta, PL2285, male, on Acacia euthycarpa, MU Diphucrania leucosticta, PL3003B, female, on Acacia euthycarpa, MU Diphucrania leucosticta, PL3003B, female, on Acacia euthycarpa, MU Diphucrania leucosticta, PL3012, male, on Acacia euthycarpa, MU Diphucrania leucosticta, PL1806, male, on Acacia wattsiana, NL Diphucrania leucosticta, PL1806, male, on Acacia wattsiana, NL Diphucrania leucosticta, DAY188, KI, 13.7 × 5.3 mm Diphucrania leucosticta, DAY189, KI, 11.9 × 4.4 mm Diphucrania leucosticta, DAY188, DAY189, KI
Actual
size¹:
14.0 mm
×
5.4 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L113.4
12.6 – 13.9
 n = 414.6
13.55 – 15.4
 n = 4
L213.0
12.35 – 13.55
 n = 313.7
13.33 – 14.1
 n = 2
W5.1
4.7 – 5.3
 n = 45.7
5.25 – 6.1
 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
Notes

A late-emerging Diphucrania species. Carter 1923a described Cisseis leucosticta (as it was then known), as 'perhaps the most widely distributed Cisseis in Australia, found in every state on Acacia foliage'.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EP,  NL,  MU,  YP,  SL,  KI,  SE
Australian States:  WA,  SA,  VIC,  NSW,  QLD
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 Diphucrania leucosticta  (total actual records: 45 beetles)
1
6 2 4 5
3 4 2
13 3 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 > 3 (median)
actual count <= 3 (median)
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Acacia pycnantha179FR, MU, SL, SEF
Acacia euthycarpa82EP, MUF
Acacia uncifolia83EP, KIF
Acacia sp.76LE, MU, SL, KI, SEF
Acacia myrtifolia11SEF
Acacia nematophylla11YPF
Acacia victoriae ssp. victoriae11FRF
Acacia wattsiana11NLF
Allocasuarina sp.11SEC
Choretrum glomeratum11KIS
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
F Fabaceae 44 96% 7
C Casuarinaceae 1 2% 1
S Santalaceae 1 2% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on foliage or non-flowering plant2513
on plant (unspecified)2112
Host plant notes

Adults have been recorded from a handful of different Acacia species in SA. Tepper 1887 stated that the 'caterpillars [sic] live in the heartwood of the Golden Wattle' [=Acacia pycnantha].

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.