Jewel Beetles
Jewel beetles are scientifically classified in the Buprestidae family and of nearly 15,000 species worldwide there are about 1200 in Australia
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ranging in size from quite small (less than 1cm long) to large beetles around 4cm long.
The larvae are wood borers and the adults are flower feeders.
Many of them feature bright and attractive colors on their elytra (wing coverings) and these patterns often allow identification of a species.
Because of the large number of species and limited resources available on the web I have found it difficult to
try and identify species myself and usually rely on more experienced people to help out in that regard.
At the moment I haven't provided any details information pages on specific species but you can
search my site for all jewel beetle images or view
only my Buprestidae records on ALA.
External Links
For interactive distribution maps and some photos of species within Australia you should visit the
ALA.
The Wikipedia has some general information, including lifecycle.
