Colpochila sp.

Chafer beetle at Kalaru, NSW

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Identification history

	Colpochila sp.	11 Aug 2019	KimPullen
	Sericesthis geminata	18 Jul 2019	DavidL.Jones

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User's notes

Active beetle on warm summer nights

6 comments

KerriLee wrote:

7 Aug 2019

Nice image David, and it certainly looks like a Sericesthis. How did you ID it to species level? I'm not very familiar with this group, but if you're suggested ID is correct it will be a good 'new species' to add to our listings. I note that ALA shows the species widespread along the southeast coast, but they don't show any photos.

DavidL.Jones wrote:

7 Aug 2019

Hi Kerri, It was identified by an entomologist at CSIRO in Canberra.

KerriLee wrote:

7 Aug 2019

Great! I'll go ahead and add the species. Thanks David

KimPullen wrote:

11 Aug 2019

It is subfamily Melolonthinae, but not genus Sericesthis. Looks like a Colpochila, of which there would be perhaps half a dozen spp. in the ALCW study area. See http://www.publish.csiro.au/ZS/AJZS118 .

KerriLee wrote:

11 Aug 2019

Ah, thanks Kim. Great to have your help :)

KerriLee wrote:

11 Aug 2019

Hi David, I've managed to download the paper Kim mentioned and can send you a copy if you like (just for interest). Here's a link to the ALA images for the genus, which includes a number of type specimens ... (again, just for interest ... you'd probably need to have the insect in hand to ID it to species level).
https://bie.ala.org.au/species/urn:lsid:biodiversity.org.au:afd.taxon:5e7d844e-75a8-4e8b-baa5-e8346027f1b2#gallery

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