Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica   Barker
subfamily  Agrilinae » tribe  Coraebini » subtribe  Cisseina
Diphucrania  species group: modesta
Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica   Adult images
Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL1662, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL1662, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL1679, male, on Acacia uncifolia, KI Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL0638A, PL0638D, female and male, from Acacia pycnantha, SL Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, from Acacia pycnantha, PL0578D & C &A (male & female & male), SL Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, from Acacia pycnantha, PL0578D & C &A (male & female & male), SL Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL0956, female, MU, 5.8 × 2.3 mm Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL1661B, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL1667, male, on Acacia uncifolia, KI Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL1749B, female, on Acacia pycnantha, SL Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL1749B, female, on Acacia pycnantha, SL Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL1749A, male, on Acacia pycnantha, SL Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica, PL1749A, male, on Acacia pycnantha, SL
Actual
size¹:
5.8 mm
×
2.3 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L15.7
5.2 – 6.35
 n = 296.1
5.2 – 6.6
 n = 15
L25.7
5.3 – 6.25
 n = 106.1
5.7 – 6.25
 n = 5
W2.2
2 – 2.45
 n = 292.4
2 – 2.6
 n = 15
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 sp. cf. tasmanica  Distinctive features

Maler have a green head, pronotum and ventral side. Females are larger and more uniform in colour, varying from bronze-purple to purple or blackish-purple above and below.

Notes

Although closely related to D. modesta, this species is distinguished by a much greater degree of sexual differentiation (sexual dimorphism and dichromatism), with males easily recognisable by their green undersides. It often occurs together with D. modesta on Golden Wattle Acacia pycnantha.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  FR,  NL,  MU,  SL,  KI,  SE
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 Diphucrania sp. cf. tasmanica  (total actual records: 131 beetles)
10 11
33 20 18 16
14 9
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 > 15 (median)
actual count <= 15 (median)
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Acacia pycnantha6718FR, NL, MU, SL, SEF
Acacia uncifolia224KIF
Acacia sp.166SL, KIF
Bursaria spinosa ssp. spinosa112SLP
Acacia wattsiana41NLF
Leptospermum sp.31SLM
Acacia retinodes32NL, MUF
Acacia argyrophylla11MUF
Acacia provincialis11KIF
Allocasuarina verticillata11SEC
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 114 88% 6
P Pittosporaceae 11 9% 1
M Myrtaceae 3 2% 1
C Casuarinaceae 1 1% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)62
on flowering plant166
on foliage or non-flowering plant8320
on plant (unspecified)247
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.