Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Temognatha flavocincta   (Gory & Laporte, 1838)
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Stigmoderini » subtribe  Stigmoderina
Temognatha  species group: grandis
Temognatha flavocincta   Adult images
Temognatha flavocincta, PL2804, male, on Grevillea pterosperma, SE, 28.2 × 12.0 mm Temognatha flavocincta, PL2804, male, SE, 28.2 × 12.0 mm Temognatha flavocincta, PL2804, male, SE, 28.2 × 12.0 mm Temognatha flavocincta, PL2804, male, SE, 28.2 × 12.0 mm Temognatha flavocincta, PL2804, male, SE, 28.2 × 12.0 mm Temognatha flavocincta, PL2804, male, SE, 28.2 × 12.0 mm
Actual
size¹:
31.7 mm
×
13.4 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L129.6
27.4 – 35.5
 n = 535.0
34 – 37
 n = 3
L229.2
26.95 – 34.9
 n = 534.8
33.6 – 36.6
 n = 3
W12.6
11.4 – 14.9
 n = 514.8
14 – 15.75
 n = 3
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 flavocincta  Distinctive features

Head with densely white-hairy frons; pale yellow margin on pronotum and elytra; pronotum mainly black, coarsely and irregularly pitted and thickened; elytra dark red; underside prominently hairy.

Notes

Temognatha flavocincta is a widely occurring species in temperate woodland and semi-arid mallee-heath areas. It appears to have declined significantly after settlement and Tepper 1887 writes that it: 'used to be very plentiful some 30 years ago among the flowers of the taller trees of Eucalyptus rostrata or Red Gum) now E. camaldulensis), but is now rare.' See further details in 'Host plant notes' at the bottom of this page.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EP,  SL,  SE
Australian States:  WA,  SA,  VIC
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 flavocincta  (total actual records: 4 beetles)
1 2
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)
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Eucalyptus yalatensis11EPM
Grevillea pterosperma11SEP
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 1 50% 1
P Proteaceae 1 50% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)11
on flowering plant11
Temognatha flavocincta Breeding record images
Temognatha flavocincta, PL3582, dead non-emerged adult, in Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp. stephaniae, SE Temognatha flavocincta, PL3582, dead non-emerged adult, SE, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski Temognatha flavocincta, PL3582, dead non-emerged adult, SE Temognatha flavocincta, PL3582, dead non-emerged adult, SE
Larval host plant
records sites SA regions¹ family adult dead
Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp. stephaniae11SEM1
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
M Myrtaceae 1 100% 1
Position in larval host
positionrecordssitesadult dead
stem111
Host plant notes

Dead remains of an adult Temognatha protruding from an exit hole were discovered by A.M.P. Stolarski in July 2016. They were about 1.5m above ground in the trunk of a Eucalypt situated 9.6 km WSW of Wirrega on Dukes Highway between Keith and Bordertown in the SE Region of SA. The head and pronotum of the beetle had become embedded by subsequent growth of bark tissue and kino exudation and were the only intact remains that could be extracted. Based on a sample of foliage and site photos, I was able to tentatively identify the host as Eucalyptus leucoxylon. Subsequently I visited the site, located the tree, re-photographed it and confirmed its identity as E. leucoxylon ssp. stephaniae supported by a voucher specimen (P.J.Lang 3131) submitted to the State Herbarium of SA (AD).

After cleaning in concentrated KOH solution, the remains were examined and compared with SA Temognatha species of a similar size. They were found to uniquely match Temognatha flavocincta, based on: the pale yellowish margins to the pronotum that are terminated by a narrow dark band on their posterior edges; and the rugose pronotum surface with coalescing punctae and sparse coarse hairs.

Eucalyptus leucoxylon ssp. stephaniae is the first larval host record for Temognatha flavocincta in SA and the second for the species. The only other breeding record reported for this species is that of Goudie 1923 who found two dead non-emerged adults on splitting the 6 inch (15 cm) diameter trunk of a Eucalyptus leucoxylon sapling, presumably at Maldon in Victoria. It is notable that both the known breeding records are in E. leucoxylon, and from young trees.

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.