Gold Christmas beetle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gold Christmas beetle |
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The gold Christmas beetle (scientific name: Anoplognathus aureus) is a really cool insect found in northern Australia. It's a type of beetle that belongs to a family called Scarabaeidae. This family includes many kinds of dung beetles and chafers. People who collect insects often love this beetle because of its beautiful, shiny colors!
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Naming the Gold Christmas Beetle
This special beetle was first described by an English insect expert named Charles Owen Waterhouse in 1889. He gave it the scientific name Anoplognathus aureus. The word aureus comes from Latin and means "golden," which perfectly describes its shiny look!
Over the years, a few other scientists thought they had found new types of beetles. For example, Reverend Thomas Blackburn described a beetle he called Calloodes frenchi in 1890. Later, he also described Anoplognathus concinnus in 1900. But it turned out that these were all just different names or color variations of the same amazing gold Christmas beetle!
What Does the Gold Christmas Beetle Look Like?
This beetle is known for its amazing colors! It can be a shiny brass-gold, bright gold, or even a glossy red-brown. Its legs are usually red-brown too. If a beetle is red-brown, it will still have a golden shine on its chest area (called the mesosternum) and its belly (abdomen). It also has a golden glow right behind its head.
Size and Special Features
Male gold Christmas beetles are usually about 12.5–14 millimetres (0.49–0.55 in) long. Females are a bit bigger, measuring around 14.5–16.5 millimetres (0.57–0.65 in) long.
You can tell males and females apart by looking at their faces. The male's clypeus (a part of its head near the mouth) has a narrow, pointed tip. The female's clypeus, on the other hand, is more rounded.
The hard wing covers of the beetle, called elytra, can be smooth. Sometimes, they have very fine grooves along their sides. The last part of its body, called the pygidium, looks slightly curved when you see it from the side.
Where Does the Gold Christmas Beetle Live?
The gold Christmas beetle lives in northern Australia. You can find it in places like northeastern Queensland, from Cairns and Mossman down to Innisfail. It has also been seen as far west as Broome in Western Australia.
Even though it covers a wide area, this beetle is not very common. It's a special treat to spot one!
What Does It Eat?
Scientists have seen the gold Christmas beetle on a few different types of plants. These include the Hibiscus tiliaceus (a type of hibiscus), Breynia cernua, and Tristemma mauritianum.
There is also some information that suggests these beetles might sometimes feed on sugarcane crops. This happens in an area called the Atherton Tableland.
