Chauliognathus lugubris

Chauliognathus lugubris, the plague soldier beetle, green soldier beetle or banana bug,[1] is a species of soldier beetle (Cantharidae) native to Australia.[2] It has a flattened body up to 15 millimetres (1 in) long, with a prominent yellow-orange stripe behind the black prothorax.[3] The abdomen is yellow-orange but is mostly obscured by the metallic olive green elytra.[3]

Chauliognathus lugubris
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Cantharidae
Genus: Chauliognathus
Species:
C. lugubris
Binomial name
Chauliognathus lugubris
Fabricius, 1801
Plague soldier beetles in the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, 2013

Plague soldier beetles are most common in spring and early summer, and have an adult lifespan of 2-3 months.[4] They are most commonly found in the temperate region of south-east Australia,[5] but are occasionally found in parts of the south-west of the continent.[6]

The beetles often swarm in large, localised groups around flora such as shrubs and trees, primarily to mate and eat.[3][5][7] The swarms can include hundreds of thousands of beetles.[8]

As adults, plague soldier beetles are thought to feed on pollen and nectar.[5] While in their larval stage, plague soldier beetles live in soil and are thought to feed on smaller, soft-shelled invertebrates.[5][9]

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References

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  1. ^ "Plague Soldier Beetles". What's That Bug?. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Chauliognathus lugubris (Fabricius)". CSIRO. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "Plague Soldier Beetles". Museum Victoria. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  4. ^ Shohet, D.; Clarke, A.R. (1997). "Life History of Chauliognathus lugubris (F.) (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) in Tasmanian Forests". Australian Journal of Entomology. 36 (1): 37–44. doi:10.1111/j.1440-6055.1997.tb01429.x.
  5. ^ a b c d Pullen, Kim (8 November 2012). "The Plague Soldier Beetle isn't nearly as bad as it sounds". CSIRO. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Chauliognathus lugubris: Plague Soldier Beetle". Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Plague Soldier Beetle". Australian Museum. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  8. ^ Hawkeswood, Trevor J.; Dunn, K. L. (2011). "An instance of mass swarming by the Australian soldier beetle, Chauliognathus pulchellus (Macleay) (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) at Leura, Blue Mountains, New South Wales". Calodema. 155 (1): 1–4. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  9. ^ Chauliognathus lugubris (Fabricius, 1801), Plague Soldier Beetle, Museums Victoria, retrieved 12 May 2023