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Emerald eucalyptus chafer

Xylonichus eucalypti

Photo by Mark Ridgway
Published on Project Noah
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Field Notes

Description:

A very pretty green scarab about 22mm long.

Habitat:

On a school wall under bright night lights.

Notes:

These are appearing regularly now although it seems very early in the seasonal year. Easy to confuse with others such as X piliger
http://www.tfic.net.au/SpeciesPages/Xylonichus%20piliger.html <br>

http://morwellnp.pangaean.net/cgi-bin/show_species.cgi?find_this=Xyloni… <br>
family: SCARABAEIDAE <br>
subfamily: Melolonthinae <br>
tribe: Xylonychini

Reference Links:

Xylonichus piliger - Overview, Xylonichus eucalypti eucalypti | Atlas of Living Australia

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (13)
HemaShah
I read a report on these and how the birds are having a feast.
Mark Ridgway
It's quite complicated HK. There's at least a few that look very similar but are actually different species. I think in your area they will be less hairy underneath, maybe deeper green and less pitted or even shiny on top. Good luck with them! :-)
HongmingKan
Absolutely awesome! I hope I can see it this Christmas
Mark Ridgway
Yes I looked at that one too but didn't wan to confuse things even more. (Although the ones Leuba and I found were both on days of strong NW wind) I wish there was even a document to describe the differences if any... even if we need scalpel and microscope to prove species. You're right - as Reiner Richter said too I'm keeping the next one for science.
MartinL
This one looks like a possibility based on geography and range extension. How can we find a reference image? I think MoV will identify specimens if we send one in. If they don't have correct sources, then nobody does. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/Xylonichus_sternalis
Mark Ridgway
Then again X eucalypti is recorded as NSW only... I guess therein lies our dilemma as southern Victorians. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/Xylonichus_eucalypti;Xylonichus
Mark Ridgway
I think you're probably right about being a Tassie only sp. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/b414f3b5-0321-4474-b8de-e069518945ce
Mark Ridgway
Thanks Lauren. Martin the only record on ALA is on the mainland - Ken Walker in 2011 at Morwell Nat Park - the same place Ken Harris spotted his.
LaurenZarate
Beautiful scarab, it is like the jewel scarabs in Mexico and Central America! The most common one from San Cristobal is stripped with copper-brown, but there is another that is all pale green like yours. http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/16309097/fullscreen
MartinL
That's a good idea. It was hard to source when I found mine. I's clearly rather complex. I took X. piliger to be Tasmanian and paler and hairier (well, its colder there). I would like to know the reference of the Morwell site.
Mark Ridgway
I did Martin. I'm putting a different ID to provoke discussion - we want to know how to tell the difference between X eucalypti and X piliger. I might put it into BB to stir the mix. 8-)
MartinL
Nice. Compare the species name with the one Leuba spotted.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Beetles of Southeastern Australia
Mission
Dandenong Ranges - fauna & flora
Mission
Global Schoolyard Bioblitz!
Mission
Beetles!
Mission
Upper Ferntree Gully Primary School
Photographed
PublishedSeptember 16, 2013

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