Castiarina subvicina

1 A jewel beetle at Dunlop, ACT

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Identification history

Castiarina subvicina	7 Mar 2020	MichaelMulvaney
Castiarina subvicina	4 Mar 2020	Harrisi
Castiarina vicina	26 Nov 2018	Harrisi
Castiarina bifasciata	25 Nov 2018	owenh
Castiarina sp. (genus)	25 Nov 2018	Harrisi

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7 comments

Harrisi wrote:

27 Nov 2018

Thanks Owen, your suggestion was definitely on my mind. Meanwhile, had sent pics off to one of Australia's leading Buprestid experts and he has come back with the following suggestion (C. vicina). I had noted to him that the posterior elytra had a different termination on this beetle, ie, rounded in lieu of four points as in C. bifasciata. The legs are blue in C. vicina apparently, likewise the beetle ventrally. There are no images on ALA for comparison at this stage...

KimPullen wrote:

4 Dec 2018

I can't decide on this one, Stuart. Castiarina bifasciata, C. vicina and C. subvicina are candidates. I'll keep on it.

Harrisi wrote:

4 Dec 2018

Appreciate the diligence Kim. Wish I could help; have been trying to track down copy of Shelly Barker's Castiarina 'bible' !?

Harrisi wrote:

4 Dec 2018

Its length is exactly 11mm if this helps?

Harrisi wrote:

9 Dec 2018

Thanks for confirming Alison though you have reverted back to the previous species (bifasciata) before some substantiating data was provided for ID (vicina). Can you shed new light on the matter?

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

24 Feb 2019

Specimen identified in the hand by Allan Sundholm as C. vicuna

Harrisi wrote:

5 Mar 2020

Hmm, not sure what to do here, and whether to be excited or embarrassed!? A combination of resources and experience, has now led me to understand that this jewel beetle, formerly and understandably identified as Castiarina vicina, is actually Castiarina subvicina. In Shelly Barker's definitive book 'Castiarina' he provides a keys to differentiate between the two. I realised the difference when pinning the subject beetle for inclusion into the ANIC collection. As per the key, this beetle is dark purple ventrally, its elytral apices are rounded (not four pointed) and its forward fascia is broken. I have since seen C. vicina and it is a larger beetle and looks broader in the field...

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