Chauliognathus lugubris explained

Chauliognathus lugubris, the plague soldier beetle, green soldier beetle or banana bug,[1] is a species of soldier beetle (Cantharidae) native to Australia.[2] It has a flattened body to long with a prominent yellow-orange stripe behind the black prothorax.[3] The abdomen is yellow-orange but is mostly obscured by the metallic olive green elytra.[3]

Plague soldier beetles are most common in spring and early summer, and have an adult lifespan of 2-3 months.[4] They are most commonly found in the temperate region of southeast Australia, and are occasionally found in parts of the southwest.[5]

The beetles often swarm in large, localised groups around flora such as shrubs and trees, primarily to mate and eat.[3] [6] [7] These swarms can include hundreds of thousands of beetles.[8]

As adults, plague soldier beetles are thought to feed on pollen and nectar.[6] While in their larval stage, plague soldier beetles live in soil and are thought to feed on smaller, soft-shelled invertebrates.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Plague Soldier Beetles . 3 December 2012 . What's That Bug? . 2 August 2021.
  2. Web site: Chauliognathus lugubris (Fabricius). CSIRO. 3 January 2013. 23 September 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923202013/http://www.ces.csiro.au/aicn/system/c_559.htm. dead.
  3. Web site: Plague Soldier Beetles. Museum Victoria. 3 January 2013.
  4. Shohet . D. . Clarke . A.R. . 1997 . Life History of Chauliognathus lugubris (F.) (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) in Tasmanian Forests. . Australian Journal of Entomology . 36 . 1 . 37–44 . 10.1111/j.1440-6055.1997.tb01429.x .
  5. Web site: Chauliognathus lugubris: Plague Soldier Beetle. Atlas of Living Australia. 7 May 2021.
  6. Web site: The Plague Soldier Beetle isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. Pullen. Kim. CSIRO. 8 November 2012. 2 December 2022.
  7. Web site: Plague Soldier Beetle. 8 December 2020. Australian Museum. 3 December 2022.
  8. Hawkeswood . Trevor J. . Dunn . K. L. . 2011 . An instance of mass swarming by the Australian soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pulchellus (Macleay) (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) at Leura, Blue Mountains, New South Wales . Calodema . 155 . 1 . 1–4 . 3 December 2022.

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