Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Paracephala pistacina   (Hope, 1846)
subfamily  Agrilinae » tribe  Coraebini » subtribe  unplaced
Paracephala pistacina   Adult images
Paracephala pistacina, PL3080, male, on Austrostipa pilata, MU, 4.6 × 1.4 mm Paracephala pistacina, PL3080, male, on Austrostipa pilata, MU, 4.6 × 1.4 mm Paracephala pistacina, PL3080, male, MU, 4.6 × 1.4 mm Paracephala pistacina, PL3080, male, MU, 4.6 × 1.4 mm Paracephala pistacina, PL3080, male, on Austrostipa pilata, MU, 4.6 × 1.4 mm
Actual
size¹:
4.7 mm
×
1.3 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L14.5
3.65 – 5.3
n = 524.8
3.9 – 5.5
n = 45
L24.5
3.6 – 5.2
n = 524.7
3.85 – 5.4
n = 45
W1.2
1 – 1.85
n = 521.3
1.05 – 1.6
n = 45
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

Although hitherto seldom collected in SA, I have found P. pistacina to be extremely abundant across northern Eyre Peninsula in spring when its host Spear-grasses (Austrostipa spp.) are flowering or in early fruiting stages. Similar densities were also observed at a site in the NW region, indicating that it has a very wide distribution and is possibly one of the most common Buprestids in the State.

Hope 1846a originally named it as Agrilus pistacinus and commented: 'I received this minute species from the Adelaide settlement and have named it from its pistacine colour which soon fades after the death of the insect; it then becomes of a copper hue and is sometimes brassy.' The greyish-green colour of live specimens does approach that of the Pistachio nut Pistacia vera.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  NWFREAEPNLMUSL
Australian States:  SAVICNSWQLD
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 Paracephala pistacina  (total actual records: 189 beetles)
38
8 42 9 15
75 2
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
14815NW, FR, EP, MUP
Austrostipa sp.172EPP
123EP, MUP
Poaceae sp.41SLP
31EPP
Acacia sp.21EAF
21EPP
11NLP
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
P Poaceae 187 99% 5
F Fabaceae 2 1% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)757
on flowering plant315
on plant (unspecified)469
other
  on fruit372
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
light pink11GT
Paracephala pistacina Breeding record images
Paracephala pistacina, PL3986B, larva, EP, 7.0 × 1.5 mm Paracephala pistacina, PL3986B, larva, EP, 7.0 × 1.5 mm
Larval host plant
records sites SA regions¹ family larva
31EPP3
Legendrecordscount of breeding adults, pupae and larvae
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
adultlive = extracted alive;   dead = extracted dead as intact or fragmentary remains;   ex billet = reared and emerged from stored sections of host;   ex pupa = reared from sampled pupa
pupaextracted pupa;   pupa ex larva = reared pupa from larva
larvaextracted larva (any stage including prepupa)
gall (only)hatched or unhatched gall identified by form and position rather than contents
Plant names in green are hyperlinked to a matching host species page with plant photos.
Plant family
Code records % host plant taxa
P Poaceae 3 100% 1
Position in larval host
positionrecordssiteslarva
other313
Host plant notes

Adults are strongly associated with Austrostipa (Spear-grasses) and to date have mostly been found on three species from the falcate-awned group (A. nitida, A. pilata and A. drummondii). I have found evidence that Austrostipa is also the larval host . On some A. nitida tussocks on which adults were collected I have observed frass in the base of culms, and found associated larvae of subfamily Agrilinae that are of an appropriate size to be those of P. pistacina.

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.