Fiddler Beetles

Question: My granddaughter Sarah found this beetle in my garden last week. Can you tell us what it is? It has very distinctive green markings on its back. I think it is a Christmas Beetle - it looks very Christmassy to me - but Sarah tells me that Christmas Beetles are gold.

Fiddler Beetle, Eupoecila australasiae
Photographer/Source: Otto Rogge

Answer: Your granddaughter is right: the beetle you found in your garden is not a Christmas Beetle. However, it would certainly be a contender for the title of “Christmas Beetle” if the title was not already taken.

Christmas Beetles (Anoplognathus spp.) are metallic gold in colour. The beetle she found in your garden is a Fiddler Beetle (Eupoecila australasiae). It was given this name because of the distinctive violin-shaped marking on its back.

Fiddler Beetles lay their eggs in rotting logs or in damp soil under logs. The grubs that hatch feed on rotting timber and build cocoons of soil and debris (they are occasionally found in potting mix). The adult beetles emerge in early summer. They are strong fliers and fly between eucalypt and other trees to feed on nectar. They are found in all states except for Western Australia and are harmless to humans.

You and your granddaughter might like to keep a look out for other species of “Christmassy” beetle. Green Scarab Beetles (Diphucephala sp.), Jewel Beetles (Castiarina spp) and Golden Stag Beetles (Lamprima aurata) are all active at this time of year and are all dressed for Christmas.

1) Green Scarab Beetles, Diphucephala sp. 2) Jewel Beetle, Castiarina spp. 3) Golden Stag Beetle, Lamprima aurata. Photographer/Source: 1) Ross Field, 2&3) Otto Rogge.

Comments (20) popular  |  oldest  |  newest

Discovery Centre 25 Nov 2009 13:32

Hi Jane,

The Museum has a free identification service so please feel free to take a digital image of the beetle and e-mail it to discoverycentre@museum.vic.gov.au and we will try and put a name to it for you.

 

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Discovery Centre 10 Mar 2010 11:10

Hi Ahsley. That sounds lovely. If you manage to get a detailed photograph, we can attempt an identification for you. More info here. But do bear in mind that "one in every three known species on Earth is a beetle!"

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Discovery Centre 06 Dec 2010 16:03

Hi Julia, adult Fiddler Beetles feed on flowers and can be seen buzzing around blossoms, particularly on gum trees, during the day. The larvae (juvenile stage) live underground and feed on decaying organic matter and rotting wood.

Fiddler Beetles vary enormously throughout their range up the east coast of Australia, both in size and colour. Their base colour varies from very dark brown to black and the lighter pattern ranges from pale yellow to an almost dark green.

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Discovery Centre 30 Dec 2010 10:17

Hi Vicki, there is not one animal we know of that specialises in feeding on Fiddler Beetles. But a beetle this size would be a good food source for a range of hungry vertebrates such as insectivorous birds, bats, lizards and mammals. Then there are also the invertebrates such as spiders and scorpions.  

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Discovery Centre 07 Jan 2011 11:42

Hi Erin, according to the CSIRO website, Lamprima aurata, commonly known as the Golden Stag Beetle is found in Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales. The colouring can be variable in this species and it may be that people tend to notice the males more than the females as the males are usually bigger, have larger mandibles and tend to be brighter in colour than the females.   

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Discovery Centre 12 Feb 2011 13:05

Hi Ian, these beetles are meant to feed on nectar and not fruit, did you happen to get any images of the beetles that you could send us? If so our email address is discoverycentre@museum.vic.gov.au

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Discovery Centre 06 Jan 2012 15:52

Thanks for the feedback, Louis - the image in question is a bit difficult to make out, but I've checked with a few colleagues here and I can confirm it is indeed a picture of the Painted Frog partly emerged from loose sand - note the nostrils, ridges above the eyes, markings on the snout and rounded muzzle. Although it is a bit cryptic, the image is useful for identifying froms emerging from their burrows or demonstrating burrowing behaviour.

Thanks again for your comment, and we're glad you like the app!

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Discovery Centre 19 Feb 2012 12:52

Hi Bron, the Museum does have a free identification service, you are welcome to send any images you have to discoverycentre@museum.vic.gov.au and we can try and identify it for you. It may also be worth contacting the Queensland Museum, who are likely to have more expertise on fauna from that part of the world.

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