Green Leaf Beetle - Paropsis rufitarsis

Feeding on black wattle

comments (16)

Christiane Geissler

Mountain Gorilla

Thanks Mark... Posted 9 years ago
1. Mark Ridgway
  
  Lion
  
  Hmm.. what did I say here? Comments been removed? Posted 9 years ago
2. 1. WildFlower
    
    Lion
    
    I've been wondering too, only Ferdy is able to remove comments and he is very reluctant to do so, unless it is spam. Posted 9 years ago, modified 9 years ago
  2. 1. Mark Ridgway
      
      Lion
      
      I must have messed up :( ..or that Christiane is stirring trouble :) Posted 9 years ago

WildFlower

Lion

If this reference is correct, it doesn't look the same to me.
http://www.bowerbird.org.au/observations/37029

What about the suggestion that it is a Paropsis rufitarsis?
http://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:555423cd-9677-438a-a9b8-cd9aaf22e6e9#tab_gallery
https://sites.google.com/site/paropsispages/unknown-3-cf-obsoleta
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/1159036012

According to these descriptions, Dicranosterna feed on Acacia and Paropsis don't, but some of them are synonymes, aren't they...
http://www.readbag.com/mapress-zootaxa-2006f-zt01292p119 Posted 9 years ago, modified 9 years ago
1. Christiane Geissler
  
  Mountain Gorilla
  
  Thanks and yes you are right.. Martin is an expert and uses a lot of my beetle.. :) Posted 9 years ago
2. 1. Mark Ridgway
    
    Lion
    
    ..and Martin got his suggested ID from Dr Chris Reid on this.
    There is no greater reference in Australia for these beetles. Posted 9 years ago
  2. 1. WildFlower
      
      Lion
      
      The way I read it, it says Martin "had thought this is Dicranosterna but Chris Reid thinks it is Paropsis, allied to obsoleta." However, it is identified as Paropsis rufitarsis and there is the "Thank you Gunter for the ID"
      
      It is not P. obsoleta which feeds on Eucalyptus.
      http://www.biolib.cz/en/image/id276501/
      
      It seems that Dr Reid is contradicting himself because the beetle was found feeding on Acacia aulacocarpa but in his study http://www.readbag.com/mapress-zootaxa-2006f-zt01292p119 he says
      "Paropsis is native to Australia and New Guinea, introduced elsewhere. Number of species: approximately 70 in Australia, two in New Guinea. Host-plants: Myrtaceae (Angophora, Eucalyptus, Kunzea, Leptospermum, Lophostemon, Melaleuca). Records for Acacia (Jolivet & Hawkeswood 1995) are erroneous (Reid 1995a, 2002c)." Posted 9 years ago, modified 9 years ago

Martin Lagerwey

Lion

Hey, there you guys are...
I have the unpublished paper of Gunter Maywald who is currently revising the 72 species of Paropsis. Chris covers the whole 3000 species of chrysomelidae. Gunter has identified Paropsis rufitarsis clearly as occurring throughout Queensland. Rufitarsis refers to red feet. In Western Victoria and further west is Paropsis glauca which I have added to this site for your reference. Paropsis wilsoni is an inland form which is brown or orange, sometimes patterned but similarly convex.
My suggestion of Dicranostigma was premature.
My sighting of P. glauca in Victoria was on mallee gum. My sighting of P. rufitarsis at Cooktown was on an undetermined plant. I should look more closely next time. I would expect eucalypt foodplant. Posted 9 years ago
1. WildFlower
  
  Lion
  
  Hi Martin, we've quoted you a couple of times here so it's good to actually have you take part in the discussion to sort this out. What is your comment about Dr Reid's findings that Paropsis don't feed on Acacia and this beetle being found on Acacia aulacocarpa as well as the one below?
  https://sites.google.com/site/paropsispages/unknown-3-cf-obsoleta Posted 9 years ago

Martin Lagerwey

Lion

Hello Wildflower.
Paropsis feed primarily on Eucalyptus. A few species feed on Kunzea, Beackia and other tea trees.
The google sites website is mine. Data is very scarce and some, including errors is copied in several places. Gunter records only one food plant, Eucalyptus and feeding on Acacia is not recorded. I shall meet Gunter next week and ask him. It is likely that the beetle found by Christiane was sitting on Wattle and I would question if it was actually feeding. If so, we simply lack good data. Posted 9 years ago
1. WildFlower
  
  Lion
  
  OK, I'm looking foreward to the outcome, it is an interesting case. Posted 9 years ago

Christiane Geissler

Mountain Gorilla

Hey Guys.. I will go through my old collection and see if I find a photo of the leaf or tree. If not I will have a look next time I am at my other place and see if I can find one more. :) Posted 9 years ago

Martin Lagerwey

Lion

I did speak to Gunter yesterday. We went on a field trip but found rather little.
He is not surprised to see these beetles on Acacia but believes this is coincidental and they are not recorded as feeding on anything other than eucalyptus species. Posted 9 years ago
1. WildFlower
  
  Lion
  
  OK, thanks. If you are sure about the ID I'll create an entry for it. Posted 9 years ago
2. 1. Martin Lagerwey
    
    Lion
    
    Yes, the identification of Paropsis rufitarsis is accurate. Posted 9 years ago