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Paropsisterna aurea
Called Tasmanian Gold, P. aurea feeds on snow Gums throughout Tasmania. In Vicroria Paropsisterna hectica (see below) looks identical but is usually green. The beetle panel considers them to be the same species and likely to eventually be merged. Until then, Blackburn described P. aurea in 1899 and oficially the Tasmanian form is P. aurea,
Records in the link below occur for Victoria but these are misnamed and is an error by myself.
Paropsisterna hectica is the mainland species.
Paropsisterna aurea (Blackburn, 1899) or "Tasmanian Gold" is an Eucalyptus leaf beetle (Chrysomelinae: Paropsisterna) endemic to Tasmania, that feeds on Snow gums (Eucalyptus pauciflora). The plain elytral colour varies from citrine to golden yellow.
It is very close to, or even the same species as Paropsisterna hectica from mainland Victoria and the two may be synonymized at some point (or classified as a subspecies?). Until then the "golden" Tasmanian form is valid as P. aurea and the greenish.. more
comments (5)
Hoops ... I noticed your recent additions (wonderful as always! :o) to be unidentified so I started to work your info into a species description, only to find out that you were apparently in the process of creating the species yourself. I've added my text for this one nevertheless, as it was a tad more than your version. Please check though!
Cheers, Arp Posted 8 years ago
The subspecies option would be Paropsisterna hectica aurea so the term is 'demoted' to a lower ranked taxon rather than merged. The mainland has yellow forms of hectica which I presumed at the time to be the Tasmanian 'aurea' based on color. I have seem Tasmanian ''endemics on the mainland several times before so it was not a surprise. As synonymy. of the gold and green forms on the mainland seems justified, the Tasmanian species is also hardly valid. The red color is teneral and should not be considered significant for ID purposes although it seems to be exclusive to the golden forms.
Paropsisterna hectica 'golden form on Victorian lowland heathlands.
Posted 8 years ago, modified 8 years ago
Interesting to read hat the red is the teneral form(!) In most beetles over here that change colour over time, the colour intensity tends to get darker over time (typically from yelllow/orange to darker red after overwintering).
Thanks for all you excellent contributions here! Posted 8 years ago
Your website is also becoming formidable :) Posted 8 years ago