Castiarina xystra
20 Jewel Beetle at Deakin, ACT
Identify this sighting
| Castiarina xystra | entom2 | 18 Sep 2024 | |
| Castiarina xystra | MarkH | 18 Sep 2024 | |
| Castiarina xystra | MarkH | 18 Sep 2024 | |
| Castiarina supergrata | KorinneM | 17 Sep 2024 |
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Significant sighting
MarkH noted:
18 Sep 2024
Only specimen known since the collection of the unique type specimen at Black Mountain in March 1931
28 comments
17 Sep 2024
This is Castiarina militaris.
Can the admin people please add this to the species list for the ACT. It is a new species for the ACT. Thanks.
Can the admin people please add this to the species list for the ACT. It is a new species for the ACT. Thanks.
17 Sep 2024
I agree with Mark H, this is Castiarina militaris. Cheers, Allen. EDIT: its Castiarina xystra!
18 Sep 2024
Hi Mark. As a moderator for jewel beetles, you have have the ability to do this yourself. Go to the field guide for jewel beetles and click on Add species. Best wishes.
18 Sep 2024
After further discussion with entom2 and looking at a photograph of the unique type of Castiarina xystra which was described from a single specimen from Black Mountain in March 1931 I am comfortable that this sighting represents that species.
This species is very closely allied with Castiarina militaris and they may prove to be conspecific however this assessment can only occur with a collected specimen so, if possible, the specimen needs to be lodged at the Australian National Insect Collection if it is available.
This species is very closely allied with Castiarina militaris and they may prove to be conspecific however this assessment can only occur with a collected specimen so, if possible, the specimen needs to be lodged at the Australian National Insect Collection if it is available.
18 Sep 2024
This specimen looked close to death when I saw it - it allowed me to pick it up on the leaf. I've checked this morning, and there's no sign of anything there. None of the eucalypts close to it look like they are currently in flower. I will have some more checks over the next few days around the area, but only likely to find something if it's on the ground. I also don't have my camera to try and see whether there's anything higher up in the trees, unfortunately.
18 Sep 2024
Fantastic find Korinne - I will also put a call out for members of Red Hill Regenerators to look out for this Jewel Beetle.
18 Sep 2024
Very exciting Korinne.
Interesting that this species of Castiarina is also out in early in spring. My recollection was that it was surprising when C. insularis turned up in early spring 2021 in southern Namadgi. Castiarina insularis (A jewel beetle)
Interesting that this species of Castiarina is also out in early in spring. My recollection was that it was surprising when C. insularis turned up in early spring 2021 in southern Namadgi. Castiarina insularis (A jewel beetle)
18 Sep 2024
I identified this as being Castiarina xystra by comparison with my photo of the type of xystra held in the ANIC (see my responses to Korinne's excellent post on Facebook). I am very keen on photographing both sexes of this species alive, and if possible I would like a pair for my representative collection which is destined to go to the nation, including the ANIC (in the 1990's I donated some 30,000 specimens to the Australian Museum, to the Macleay Museum, and to the ANIC). In addition, given the similarity to Castiarina militaris, I recommend that, as ANIC does not have any militaris (last time I looked), and already has the only curated specimen of xystra, Dr Peter Lang of Adelaide (formerly of the herbarium in Adelaide) be involved as he can undertake a DNA analysis, as he has done for many other species in the genus. Hopefully he can eventually obtain specimens identified as militaris as well, to compare its DNA with that of xystra. Both species are in a large genus of nectar-feeders so keep a lookout on the flowers of any flowering Eucalyptus, especially Eucalyptus melloidera ('Yellow Box), out of the branch of which the holotype specimen was collected on Black Mountain in 1931, so adults (likely ovipositing females) might also be found on the trunks and branches. Hopefully enough specimens can eventually be found to keep everyone happy! Cheers! Allen M. Sundholm OAM
18 Sep 2024
Went and had a look this afternoon. None of the nearby local and planted eucalyptus (E. melliodora, E.blakleyi and E. bicostata subsp. globulus) are in flower. There are a line of White Box (E. albens) planted along Kent street. They have a mass of spent buds. There were a few degraded and old flowers on the tree under which Korinne found the Beetle, but they were the only "flowers" I could see along the whole row of white box. Will target a look in this area again next year when white box is in full bloom, but flowers are only observable with binoculars.
18 Sep 2024
Hi Michael, the main thing is that you very kindly took the time and trouble to look, and to post a full write-up of the situation here! You may need a longish net for next year, ha! Anyway, I reckon there might still be some around if others are keen to look.
19 Sep 2024
I had a look yesterday along Denison street in Deakin, as their are some gums with flowers still. Almost all flowers are well out of reach. Had a look on the ground/trunks as much as possible. No sign of anything.
19 Sep 2024
Hi Korrine, the main thing is that you also very kindly took the time and trouble to look :-). Indeed, there being Eucs with flowers, there may be some on those flowers out of reach. If I get a chance (not sure yet) I will try to come to Canberra next week, I have long nets. Cheers!
19 Sep 2024
@entom2 if you do come to Canberra next week, I'd appreciate it if you let me know, please.
19 Sep 2024
Hi Korinne, I certainly intended to :-) I shoulda mentioned that sorry, but at this stage I am not sure if I can make it :-(
6 Aug 2025
So I'm set up with a long handled net to go and look this year (thank you cicada scientist on iNaturalist last year who bought me one so I could see whether I could get cicadas at Bungonia for him). I've also sent an email to Red Hill Regenerators asking whether they might forward to their members the request to let me know when eucalypts are in flower to make it easier to time looking.
6 Aug 2025
Hi Korinne, if you look at around the same time of year that you found the last one that is likely your best chance. Although some species can emerge over a few consecutive months buprestids generally emerge over 2-4 weeks at the same time each year. Good luck!
6 Aug 2025
@MarkH thanks for that advice. :-) It was mid September and possibly the end of their season last year. Allowing 4 weeks, it could be from mid August, then possibly. I don't live near Red Hill, so getting when they are in flower will help with narrowing that timing, too, potentially.
6 Aug 2025
Mid August is very early in the Buprestid season. It’s generally late August through to early March in southern Australia. It also depends a bit on whether winter lingers through August and when the warmth returns at the beginning of Spring. That can certainly impact Buprestid emergences.
8 Nov 2025
I didn't find any but am keeping my eyes out - the white box did not flower this year in early spring
8 Nov 2025
I had a look on the street that the Mint is at when those eucalypts started to flower, but then I was away. I strongly suspect that the beetle could have come from that street as the timing fits. However, I didn't find anything at that point. I used my net.
8 Nov 2025
Will aim for it again next year. I also did briefly look on Black Mountain at the time of last year's find, but nothing was in flower. (As a side note, I wandered off trail, managed to get lost right at the end of the day and had to be rescued by a friend driving over and walking to find me. This is my life. I now have a better mapping app on my phone for trails.)
Location information
- Places Deakin, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- KorinneM Recorded by
- 12mm to 25mm Animal size
- Injured / sick Animal health
Collections
- Significant Featured KorinneM Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Castiarina xystra Jewel beetles (Buprestidae) Beetles (Coleoptera) Insects
Species information
- Castiarina xystra Scientific name
- Jewel Beetle Common name
- Sensitive
- Very rare / threatened
- Non-invasive or negligible
- 614.36m to 619m Recorded at altitude
Record quality
Quality score
5 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- GPS evidence of location
- Additional attributes
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- Description