Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Neospades sp. Narrow variant  
subfamily  Agrilinae » tribe  Coraebini » subtribe  Cisseina
Neospades sp. Narrow variant   Adult images
Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3597A, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 6.7 × 2.4 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3597B, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 6.5 × 2.3 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3597A, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 6.7 × 2.4 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3603B, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 7.2 × 2.7 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3603B, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 7.2 × 2.7 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3602, female, from Radyera farragei flower, NW, 6.7 × 2.4 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3603A, male, from Hibiscus solanifolius flower, NW, 5.8 × 2.0 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3953, female, from Alyogyne pinoniana, NW, 6.7 × 2.5 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3597B, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 6.5 × 2.3 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3597B, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 6.5 × 2.3 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3597B, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 6.5 × 2.3 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3597A, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 6.7 × 2.4 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3597A, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 6.7 × 2.4 mm Neospades sp. Narrow variant, PL3597A, female, on Hibiscus solanifolius, NW, 6.7 × 2.4 mm
Actual
size¹:
6.2 mm
×
2.2 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L16.0
4.8 – 6.7
n = 196.3
4.5 – 7.85
n = 19
L25.9
4.75 – 6.55
n = 196.3
4.45 – 7.8
n = 19
W2.1
1.55 – 2.5
n = 192.3
1.6 – 2.9
n = 19
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
Neospades sp. Narrow variant  Distinctive features

Relatively narrow body shape; head and pronotum with pink, dark green or blue-violet tones; tarsal claws more appendiculate than bifid and often spreading.

Notes

This entity occurs with Neospades chrysopygia in western SA, and may merely be a form of that species, or more likely, of N. rugiceps which it more closely resembles in colouration. However the difference in tarsal claws suggest the possibility of it being a separate taxon. It also has similarities to Neospades picta described by Carter 1923a from Brisbane.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  NWLEGTEP
Australian States:  WA?
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 Neospades sp. Narrow variant  (total actual records: 39 beetles)
1
2
6 2
16
1 2
12
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
9
number of active beetles, actually recorded in that quarter-month
2
estimate of active beetles, inferred* from adjoining date ranges
actual count > 4 (median)
actual count <= 4 (median)
inferred* active beetles only (mostly from colour lure trap results)
 *Inferred when a site has counts of active beetles for each of two consecutive periods (date ranges), one finishing and the other starting in the same quarter-month.
The count estimate is assigned to that quarter-month and calculated as the lower of the two total beetle counts, divided by the number of quarter-months in its date range.
Assumes that beetle activity is essentially continuous within a single active period per year, and that date ranges do not bridge a non-active period (thus only ranges of < 4 months are used).
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
141NWM
133NW, GTM
21EPS
Abutilon sp.11GTM
11NWM
Dicrastylis sp.11NWL
11NWM
Sida sp.11LEM
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 Malvaceae 31 91% 6
S Scrophulariaceae 2 6% 1
L Lamiaceae 1 3% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)275
on foliage or non-flowering plant21
on plant (unspecified)54
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
blue196NW, GT, EP
yellow52GT
white31GT
light violet11GT
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.