Bug of the Month: February 2007 – Third Fiddler Beetle from Australia in a week

bugman

February 1st, 2007 at 1:00 am

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What is it??
Hello there
Found this in Sydney Australia. Any idea of what it is? Thanks
Stuart

fOUND IT!!!!!! thanks!
Fiddler Beetles
Eupoecila australasiae
These beetles emerged from cocoons found in a pot of daffodils in Randwick. Other locations around Sydney where Fiddler Beetles have been recently found include Ingleburn, St Mary’s, Kellyville and Faulconbridge. They are common in heath and woodlands in south-eastern Australia. Adult beetles emerge from soil in early summer and feed on the nectar of flowers. The beetles lay eggs in rotting logs or in the damp soil under logs. The grubs feed on rotting timber and build cocoons of soil and debris in which they pupate. These attractive beetles are harmless to humans.

Hi Stuart,
We are thrilled that you identified your Fiddler Beetle. This is the third specimen we have posted this week and your letter is the first to arrive in February. It is time to post a Bug of the Month for February 2007, and since we have so many fans in Australia, we have decided to that this month we will feature the Fiddler Beetle. This will be the first Bug of the Month not found in the U.S.

Third Fiddler Beetle from Australia in a week (February 1, 2007)
Fiddler Beetle from Australia (December 31, 2003)
Australian Fiddler Beetle (December 13, 2005)
Fiddler Beetle from Australia (December 13, 2007)
Fiddler Beetle from Australia (December 27, 2009)

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From Fiddler Beetle from Australia | What's That Bug? on 27 Dec 2009 at 10:36 am ¶
[...] so many images of Fiddler Beetles, Eupoecila australasiae, in early 2007 that we made it the Bug of the Month in February of that year. It really is a distinctive beetle that is unlikely to be confused with any other [...]