Jewel Beetles mating on White Kunzea

Castiarina crenata on Kunzea ambigua - Location: Blue Mountains, Australia

 

One of these jewel beetles was drinking the nectar from these flowers, and then the other one flew down to 'get cosy' with them.

 

Kunzea ambigua is a powerhouse of a plant in the local area - over 142 (!!!) different insect and spider species have been counted on this plant (most of them pollinating it).

 

Just looking at Jewel Beetles (Buprestidae) alone, at least 17 different species have been documented on these plants in the local area.

 

In Australia there are about 1200 known, described species of Jewel Beetles / Buprestidae.

 

More info on Jewel Beetles in Australia here: australian.museum/blog/science/amri-the-ecology-of-austra...

 

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Taxonomy - Castiarina crenata

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Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Hexapoda

Class: Insecta

Subclass: Pterygota

Order: Coleoptera

Suborder: Polyphaga

Infraorder: Elateriformia

Superfamily: Buprestoidea

Family: Buprestidae

Subfamily: Buprestinae

Tribe: Stigmoderini

Genus: Castiarina

Species: Castiarina crenata

 

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Taxonomy - Kunzea ambigua

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Kingdom: Plantae

Phylum: Tracheophyta

Subphylum: Angiospermae

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Myrtales

Family: Myrtaceae

Subfamily: Myrtoideae

Tribe: Leptospermeae

Genus: Kunzea

Species: Kunzea ambigua

Done