Tricolor Soldier Beetle - Chauliognathus tricolor

FAMILY CANTHARIDAE

This page contains information and pictures about Tricolor Soldier Beetles that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Body length 15mm

The Tricolor Soldier Beetle has the head and wing-covers in black, thorax in orange and abdomen in yellow colours. This is a very strong warning signal. Soldier Beetles are known to produce defensive toxic secretions when disturbed.



We first found this mating couple on a gum tree trunk on late spring Nov 2002.



We then found them in Karawatha Forest Rocky Track on Mar 2007.



We also found them in Mt Tamborine on Apr 2008.

Reference:
1. Beetles - family Cantharidae - lifeunseen.com, by Nick Monaghan, 2008.
2. Chauliognathus tricolor - Morwell National Park Online, 2005.
3. Chauliognathus tricolor (Castelnau, 1840) - Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.