Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Temognatha flavicollis   (Saunders, 1869) (updated 6 May 2024)
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Stigmoderini » subtribe  Stigmoderina
Temognatha flavicollis   Adult images (last updated: 22 Oct 2022)
Temognatha flavicollis, PL5056, female, photo on Melaleuca lanceolata, SE, 1.0 km SE Tintinara, 19 Feb 2021, 20.9 × 8.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL5056, female, photo on Melaleuca lanceolata, SE, 1.0 km SE Tintinara, 19 Feb 2021, 20.9 × 8.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL5056, female, photo on Melaleuca lanceolata, SE, 1.0 km SE Tintinara, 19 Feb 2021, 20.9 × 8.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL5056, female, SE, 1.0 km SE Tintinara, 19 Feb 2021, 20.9 × 8.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4693, female, SE, 9.0 km SSE Malinong, 6 Dec 2019, 18.0 × 6.8 mm Temognatha flavicollis, DAY192, KI, 0.9 km WSW Point Ellen, Vivonne Bay CP, 2 Mar 2008, 18.2 × 7.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL5056, female, photo on Melaleuca lanceolata, SE, 1.0 km SE Tintinara, 19 Feb 2021, 20.9 × 8.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL5056, female, photo on Melaleuca lanceolata, SE, 1.0 km SE Tintinara, 19 Feb 2021, 20.9 × 8.2 mm
Actual
size¹:
13.7 mm
×
5.2 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L117.5
16.5 – 18.7
n = 99.5
4 – 20.85
n = 8
L217.3
16.35 – 18.5
n = 89.4
3.9 – 20.65
n = 8
W6.6
6.1 – 7.3
n = 93.7
1.65 – 8.2
n = 8
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
Temognatha flavicollis  Distinctive features

A relatively small Temognatha with background colour varying from red to orange or yellow.

Notes

The type locality of this species is Gawler (about. 50 km N of Adelaide). The same author also described Stigmodera unicincta Saunders 1872, which is a synonym based on a Type specimen from Adelaide of the same species. The species is widely distributed but seldom collected.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EP,  YP,  SL,  KI,  SE
Australian States:  WA?,  SA,  VIC
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 Temognatha flavicollis  (total actual records: 15 beetles)
1 1
2
2 1 5
1
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 > 1 (median)
actual count <= 1 (median)
live non-emerged (inactive) beetles only
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
11SEF
11SLC
11KIP2
11KIM
Poaceae sp.11SLP1
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
C Casuarinaceae 1 20% 1
F Fabaceae 1 20% 1
M Myrtaceae 1 20% 1
P1 Poaceae 1 20% 1
P2 Proteaceae 1 20% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)11
on flowering plant11
on foliage or non-flowering plant22
other
  on trunk11
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
red192MU, SE
orange52SE
bright green11SE
Temognatha flavicollis Breeding record images (last updated: 6 Mar 2021)
Temognatha flavicollis, PL4722, larva, in Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana (PJL 3485) stem base, SE, 8.9 km SSE Malinong, 29 Nov 2019, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 42.0 × 7.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4722, larva, in Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana (PJL 3485) stem base, SE, 8.9 km SSE Malinong, 29 Nov 2019, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 42.0 × 7.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4722, larva, from Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana (PJL 3485), ventral, SE, 8.9 km SSE Malinong, 29 Nov 2019, 42.0 × 7.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4722, larva, from Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana (PJL 3485), dorsal, SE, 8.9 km SSE Malinong, 29 Nov 2019, 42.0 × 7.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4722, larva, from Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana (PJL 3485), ventral, SE, 8.9 km SSE Malinong, 29 Nov 2019, 42.0 × 7.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4722, larva, from Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana (PJL 3485), dorsal, SE, 8.9 km SSE Malinong, 29 Nov 2019, 42.0 × 7.2 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4693xx, prepupa, in Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana stem base, SE, 9.0 km SSE Malinong, 30 Oct 2019, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski Temognatha flavicollis, PL4693xx, prepupa, in Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana stem base, exit hole arrowed, SE, 9.0 km SSE Malinong, 30 Oct 2019, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski Temognatha flavicollis, PL4693x, pupa, in Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana stem base, SE, 9.0 km SSE Malinong, 2 Nov 2019, 22.4 × 8.7 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4693x, pupa, from Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana as prepupa, SE, 9.0 km SSE Malinong, 2 Nov 2019, 22.4 × 8.7 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4693, female, reared adult, from Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana as prepupa, just eclosed, SE, 9.0 km SSE Malinong, 6 Dec 2019, 18.0 × 6.8 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4693, female, reared adult, same beetle fully coloured 25 days after eclosure, SE, 9.0 km SSE Malinong, 6 Dec 2019, 18.0 × 6.8 mm Temognatha flavicollis, PL4186, dead non-emerged adult, in Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SE, 11.4 km SSE Malinong, 11 Jun 2018, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski Temognatha flavicollis, PL4186, dead non-emerged adult, from Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SE, 11.4 km SSE Malinong, 11 Jun 2018, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski Temognatha flavicollis, iNat-64026512, larval host plant, Allocasuarina verticillata, recently emerged beetle on trunk (near to exit hole with fresh frass), SL, Brooklyn Park,  Adelaide, 2 Nov 2020, photo by Asimakis Patitsas Temognatha flavicollis, iNat-64026512, larval host plant, Allocasuarina verticillata, recently emerged beetle on trunk (near to exit hole with fresh frass), SL, Brooklyn Park,  Adelaide, 2 Nov 2020, photo by Asimakis Patitsas
Larval host plants
records sites SA regions¹ family adult deadadult ex pupapupa ex larvalarva
92SEC1215
11SLC1
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
C Casuarinaceae 10 100% 2
Position in larval host
positionrecordssitesadult deadadult ex pupapupa ex larvalarva
stem base82215
stem111
dead stem111
Host plant notes

A.M.P. Stolarski discovered the breeding records for this species in the upper South-Eastern region, with a reared adult and dead remains obtained from the stems of Slaty Oak-bushes (Allocasuarina muelleriana).

An amazing record from suburban Adelaide was reported by Asimakis Patitsas on iNaturalist who discovered a recently emerged individual on the trunk of a Sheoak (see images above) with a nearby exit hole bearing fresh frass. The tree was a planted Drooping Sheoak (Allocasuarina verticillata) approximately 5 years old (Patitsas, 2020, pers. comm.).

In September 2023 I discovered a yellow larva which I tentatively identified as this species in a small side branch of Drooping Sheoak Allocasuarina verticillata in the Adelaide foothills, and its identity was confirmed in May 2024 by its DNA barcode (mitochondrial CO1 sequence).

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.