Diphucrania sp. (genus)

1 Jewel Beetle at Acton, ACT

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Identification history

	Diphucrania sp. (genus)	31 Jan 2023	KimberiRP
	Unidentified	18 Jan 2023	ConBoekel

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12 comments

entom2 wrote:

18 Jan 2023

I will need to see the actual specimen in my hand to determine if this is in either Diphucrania, or Hypocisseis, or something else. Cheers, Allen M. Sundholm.

MarkH wrote:

18 Jan 2023

I don’t think the pattern conforms with Hyposisseis so I suspect it’s in the genus Diphucrania. This isn’t a species I have seen before and it may be undescribed. It would be worth trying to collect the specimen and donate it to the Australian National Insect Collection

entom2 wrote:

19 Jan 2023

Yes, most likely Diphucrania, and absolutely agree that a series of specimens, both sexes would be good to be collected and donated to the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC).

ConBoekel wrote:

19 Jan 2023

Thanks to the moderators for the various comments. In terms of collecting a series at Dryandra Street Woodland:
this Spring/Summer I have been carefully surveying the accessible leaves of Acacia spp (as well as other veg) with a view to adding species to the Dryandra Street Woodland set. In that time the CBN field guide species count has gone from around 520 to around 700. I estimate that I would have seen many, many thousands of individuals of various insect-sized species. (I don't lift bark or disturb fallen debris). This beetle (and possibly one other) is the only one of its kind that I have seen in that time.

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

22 Jan 2023

Is there any chance you could collect it Con?

AlisonMilton wrote:

22 Jan 2023

My only problem with this is if there is only one (or two) speciemens in this area, if collected, does this negate any chance of furture breeding in this area?

entom2 wrote:

23 Jan 2023

Hi AlisonMilton, IMO collecting a series of say half a dozen males and females will not have any detrimental affect on the survival of this species. I have had over 50 years experience chasing aussie Buprestidae. By far the biggest threats are land clearing, logging of native forests, and deliberately burning the bush in so-called hazard reduction burns, which in fact actually increase the bushfire hazard due to wiping out understorey invertebrates which would have munched down to mulch the forest food (wrongly called 'fuel load'). Cheers
Allen M. Sundholm.

ConBoekel wrote:

23 Jan 2023

Armed with a container, I went back to the original wattle and examined it minutely. I extended the search to all adjacent wattles. I could find no individuals of this species. On the plus side, I believe I may have found another beetle sp, spider sp and moth sp to add the Dryandra Street Woodland list.

MichaelMulvaney wrote:

23 Jan 2023

Thanks Con

entom2 wrote:

23 Jan 2023

Hi ConBoekel, at least you tried. Well, its possible that you saw the last of their emerged, and most had already emerged, mated, and are long gone. Or, it was a blow-in, though less likely. Or it was a poor season for them this season. Who knows. All the best, Allen.

AlisonMilton wrote:

23 Jan 2023

Hi Allen, I wasn't suggesting that the species was at threat, just perhaps its extension to this area of habitat. Cheers.

entom2 wrote:

23 Jan 2023

No worries AlisonMilton! Cheers, Allen.

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