What Is It

What is it?

Appearance

• Colour: shiny black back and head with bright yellow-green markings, and dark brown to black legs.
• Distinctive feature: violin-shaped markings on its back (after which it is named).
• Size: about 2 cm.

What to observe? 

• Warmer conditions, as a result of climate change, could mean that beetle larvae develop more quickly and become adults sooner. If their food sources don’t also start flowering earlier, there is a possibility that the beetles will have to change their feeding behaviour or their populations could diminish. (Ian Endersby, personal communication).

Help scientists answer the question: "How are our animals, plants and ecosystems responding to climate change?" by making the following simple observations.

When

When to look

• From early summer (December) when adults emerge from the soil

Note: ClimateWatch is looking for any changes in the timing of these events so remember to keep a lookout from November!

Behaviour

• Diet: nectar and pollen from flowers, and occasionally leaves. The larvae (grubs) feed on rotten wood in the soil.
• Flight: strong during the day, moving between trees to feed. It buzzes loudly while flying.
• Breeding: adults emerge from the soil in early summer to mate. The female lays eggs in rotting logs or damp soil under logs. After grubs hatch they live in the soil then build a cocoon made from soil and debris, where they pupate, or transform, into their adult beetle form.

Observations to record

• Presence (to establish the first and last sighting for the season)

Please include the date of your observation, the location, how many beetles you saw, and the environment you were in.

Where

Where to look

• Among the blossoms of flowering trees and shrubs, including roses. 
• This map may not indicate the entire distribution.
• Distribution in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria   

Where is it found?

• Generally in heath and woodlands of south-eastern Australia, although they have been found in all states except Western Australia.

Note: ClimateWatch is looking for any changes outside of their known ranges so remember to keep a lookout beyond these regions!  

Sightings

References

Want to know more?

• CSIRO 1991. The Insects of Australia. CSIRO Publishing.
• Goode, J 1980. Insects of Australia. Angus & Robertson Publishers.
• Hawkeswood T 1987. Beetles of Australia. Angus & Robertson Publishers.
• Zborowski P and Storey P 2003. A Field Guide to Insects of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, Australia.

References

• Australian Museum: http://www.austmus.gov.au/factsheets/fiddler_beetles.htm  and http://www.amonline.net.au/biodiversity/backyard/close.htm
• Museum Victoria: http://museumvictoria.com.au/DiscoveryCentre/Discovery-Centre-News/2007-Archive/Fiddler-Beetles/
• Entomological Society of New South Wales: http://www.entsocnsw.org.au/images/stories/media/tarsus_570_sept_2006.pdf
• Australian Government – Australian Biological Resources Study: http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/abrs/fauna/details.pl?pstrVol=SCARABAEOIDEA;pstrTaxa=1223;pstrChecklistMode=2