Cyrioides imperialis explained

Cyrioides imperialis, commonly known as the banksia jewel beetle,^[1] is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae native to southeastern Australia. The Danish naturalist Johan Christian Fabricius was the first to describe it in 1801, and it still bears its original name.

The adult measures 3.8 cm (1.5 in) long,^[2] and is a gold and black colour with an elongated body. Female beetles lay their eggs in the bark of a tree, after which the larvae hatch and tunnel into the wood. Several species of the genus Banksia, including B. serrata, B. integrifolia and B. marginata are host plants for the larval and adult stages. Other adult host plants recorded include B. spinulosa, Leptospermum polygalifolium,^[3] and Isopogon species.^[2]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cyrioides imperialis (Fabricius). 11 November 2004. CSIRO website. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australian Government. 18 November 2011. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. 1 May 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120501235148/http://www.ces.csiro.au/aicn/system/c_546.htm. dead.
2. Book: Hangay, George . Zborowski, Paul . A Guide to the Beetles of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. Collingwood, Victoria. 2010. 107. 978-0-643-10193-7.
3. Hawkeswood. Trevor J.. 2007. A review of the biology and a new larval host plant for Cyrioides imperialis (Fabricius, 1801)(Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Calodema. Supplementary Paper No. 25. 1–3. 2011-11-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20120423181516/http://www.calodema.com/freefiles/338.pdf. 2012-04-23. dead.