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| | Long-nosed
Lycid Beetle - Porrostoma rhipidium, (Metriorrhynchus
rhipidius)
FAMILY LYCIDAE
- This page contains information and pictures about Long-nose Lycid Beetles that we
found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
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 - Body length 20mm
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- This Lycid Beetle is quite common in Brisbane bushes. We found them from
time to time during spring and early summer. They may be found on leaves or
feeding on flowers. They beetle is ready to fly any time in a sunny day.
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- The beetle has the standard Lycid Beetle colours, i.e., the brick red and
black. It can be distinguished from other Lycid by its black thorax.
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- Also notice its elongated mouth parts, this is why they are called
Long-nose Lycid Beetles.
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- Lycid beetles feed on nectar. The bright orange and black colours are a
warning to predators that it is highly toxic and distasteful. Many other
insects including flies, wasps and other
beetles, mimic its colours. Some of these are also
toxic but some are not. They all gain the same benefit by fraud. This could be the
second most popular visual warning signal (Lycid
Beetle mimicry rings) in the insects world, next to the
yellow and black strips of wasps and
bees.
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- Reference:
- 1. Insects
of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University
Press, 2nd Edition 1991, p 638 (Metriorrhynchus rhipidius).
- 2. Beetles
of Australia - Trevor J Hawkeswood, Angus & Robertson
Publishers, 1987, plate 106 (Metriorrhynchus rhipidius).
- 3. Porrostoma rhipidium - Morwell National Park Online, 2005.
- 4. Long-nosed Lycid Beetle Fact File
- Wildlife of Sydney, Australian Museum 2005.
- 5. Porrostoma (Porrostoma) rhipidium
(W.S. Macleay, 1826) - Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the
Arts.
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