Bugs!

[wolphin]

Hey drhoz, these are for you

These were out at site, so the middle of the Murchison. I found 3 or 4 of them, all dead. I'm guessing with those colours, they blew out of one of the gum trees which was nearish, but maybe not. They're about 2.5-3cm long.

Comments

[drhoz]

Jewel Beetles, probably from the Stigmodera complex of species - I see if I can narrow it down

[drhoz]

I was wrong about Stigmodera - completely wrong ornamentation on the elytra. It's a Chalcophorotaenia , possibly australasiae. Compare to the photos here, but there are others in the same genus found in that part of WA too, according to AoLA

http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:19eda06c-e2d7-418c-958c-8c48cee98242#tab_gallery

[drhoz]

May I use the pics in a TIGTIDAW post? How would you want them credited?

[wolphin]

Sure, credit them however you'd like. I'm hoping to get to see a live one next, but I suspect they live up in the trees somewhere. I'd say that one you found are the ones, good enough at least to the naked eye for me :)

I have seen some what I would call "normal" jewel beetles up there, but I didn't have my camera on me and I haven't seen them since. I'll see them again probably :)