Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Diphucrania minutissima   (Thomson, 1879)
subfamily  Agrilinae » tribe  Coraebini » subtribe  Cisseina
Diphucrania minutissima   Adult images
Diphucrania minutissima, PL0176A, on Calytrix tetragona, SL Diphucrania minutissima, PL0176A, on Calytrix tetragona, SL Diphucrania minutissima, PL0176A, on Calytrix tetragona, SL Diphucrania minutissima, PL0464, male, from Calytrix tetragona, SL, 3.9 × 1.6 mm Diphucrania minutissima, PL0011A & B & C, SL Diphucrania minutissima, PL1590, adult host plant, Calytrix tetragona, SL
Actual
size¹:
3.8 mm
×
1.5 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L13.6
2.6 – 4.35
n = 263.9
3.1 – 4.6
n = 22
L23.6
2.6 – 4.3
n = 193.8
3.1 – 4.55
n = 17
W1.5
1.1 – 1.8
n = 261.6
1.25 – 1.9
n = 22
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
Diphucrania minutissima  Distinctive features

The smallest of the SA Diphucrania species, with bronze to greenish colouration and weak scale-hair patches.

Notes

Allied to Diphucrania viridipurpurea, a WA species which has identical genitalia according to Barker (quoted by Niehuis 2001). The holotype of D. minutissima is from Adelaide.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  FREPNLMUSLSE
Australian States:  WASAVIC
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 minutissima  (total of 118 beetles)
3 21
17 11 2 12
12 10 22
3 3
2
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
live emerged adults, count > median value of 11 per quarter month
live emerged adults, count <= median value of 11
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
7114FR, NL, MU, SL, SEM
74SL, SEM
51EPM
55EP, SEM
Leptospermum sp.51SLM
31EPM
32MU, SEM
21SLP
21SLF
11SLC
11SEF
11SEM
11SLM
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 101 94% 8
F Fabaceae 3 3% 2
P Proteaceae 2 2% 1
C Casuarinaceae 1 1% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)307
on flowering plant5915
on foliage or non-flowering plant11
on plant (unspecified)165
other
  on stems11
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
orange11SE
Host plant notes

Unlike the majority of Diphucrania species which are leaf-eating beetles found on foliage, adults of D. minutissima are usually found feeding in flowers of the Myrtle family (Myrtaceae) and mostly commonly in those of the Fringe-myrtles Calytrix.

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.