King Christmas beetle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King Christmas beetle |
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| Male (left) and female (right) A. viridiaeneus from Australia | |
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The King Christmas beetle (scientific name: Anoplognathus viridiaeneus) is a large, shiny beetle. It belongs to the Scarabaeidae family, which includes dung beetles. This amazing insect lives in eastern Australia. It's the biggest type of Christmas beetle, growing to be more than 3 centimeters (about 1.2 inches) long!
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About the King Christmas Beetle
What's in a Name?
A scientist named Edward Donovan first described the King Christmas beetle in 1805. He gave it the name Melolontha viridi-ænea. He thought its colors were very special and unique. The name viridiaeneus comes from Latin words. Viridis means "green" and aeneus means "copper" or "bronze". This perfectly describes its shiny, colorful look!
Other scientists also gave it names later on. In 1817, Gustaf Johan Billberg called it Rutela caesarea. Another scientist, Leonard Gyllenhaal, named it R. latreillei in the same year.
What Does it Look Like?
The King Christmas beetle is the largest of all Christmas beetles. Adult males are usually 30 to 32 millimeters long and 16 to 19 millimeters wide. Females are a bit longer, from 28 to 34 millimeters, and 16 to 19.5 millimeters wide.
This beetle is mostly reddish-brown with a beautiful gold-green shine. Its head has rosy highlights. The main body parts, like the pronotum (the top part behind the head) and the elytra (the hard wing covers), have a golden glow. The underside of the beetle, including its legs, is a bright green. Its legs are reddish-brown, and its feet (tarsi) are black. Female beetles have flatter wing covers than males.
Where Do They Live?
You can find the King Christmas beetle in eastern Australia. This includes the states of New South Wales and Queensland. They used to be very common around Sydney. However, they have almost disappeared from that area. This is mainly because their natural homes (habitats) have been lost.
What Do They Eat?
The young beetles, called larvae, live in the ground. They feed on rotting wood, humus (decaying plant matter), and the roots of grass. Adult King Christmas beetles have been seen feeding on the leaves of the turpentine tree (Syncarpia glomulifera). This tree belongs to the Myrtaceae family.
Images for kids
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Male (left) and female (right) A. viridiaeneus from Australia
