1 Centreline Christmas beetle at Gungahlin, ACT
Identification history
| Anoplognathus suturalis | 5 Dec 2025 | HaukeKoch | ||
| Anoplognathus montanus | 5 Dec 2025 | MichaelMulvaney | ||
| Anoplognathus explanatus | 26 Nov 2025 | chriselidie | ||
| Unverified | 25 Nov 2025 | chriselidie |
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User's notes
Around 2.5 cm body length
6 comments
MichaelMulvaney
wrote:
5 Dec 2025
In A. hirsutus the pronatum (the section between the head and body) is hairy - in A. montanus the hairs are absent
HaukeKoch
wrote:
5 Dec 2025
Hi both, A. montanus also lacks hairs on the face and clypeus, which are quite abundant here. So, it's definitely not A. montanus, but I think it may be A. suturalis. Both A. suturalis and "A. hirsutus" (= A. explanatus) are present in the ACT and difficult to tell apart. It's best to get a view of the rear showing the tips of the elytra.
chriselidie
wrote:
5 Dec 2025
Thanks for all your comments! I went back to my photos and the only one showing a bit of the back is from above and slightly at an angle (pic 5). Don't know if this picture is much more helpful though
HaukeKoch
wrote:
5 Dec 2025
Thanks, this new picture should confirm A. suturalis. What you'd want to see for A. explanatus (= A. hirsutus) is the sort of V shaped gap between the elytral apices and the midline of the elytra like in this image: https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/341604866
chriselidie
wrote:
5 Dec 2025
Yes, I can see what you mean, it's really all in the detail. Thanks for the identification!
Location information
- Coordinates 149.133258-35.190290
- Maps Mulanggari Grasslands
- Places Gungahlin, ACT
Sighting information
- 2 Abundance
- 25 Nov 2025 07:10 PM Recorded on
- chriselidie Recorded by
-
Collections
Christmas Beetles 2025/26 chriselidie NatureMapr Canberra & Southern Tablelands Anoplognathus suturalis Scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae) Beetles (Coleoptera) Insects
Additional information
- Eucalyptus Associated plant
- 12mm to 25mm Animal size
Species information
- Anoplognathus suturalis Scientific name
- Centreline Christmas beetle Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1629m Recorded at altitude
- External link More information
Record quality
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- GPS evidence of location
- Description
- Additional attributes