Scientific Name: Trichalus ampliatus
Size: Total Length 20mm
What does it look like?
Elongated black beetle with brick-red elytra, red ‘shoulders’ on sides of pronotum, thick black legs and antennae, and longitudinal ridges on soft elytra.
Where is it found?
Eastern Qld and NSW.
What are its habitats & habits?
Adult beetles usually seen in forested areas flying during the day in warmer months. Adults short lived, and thought to feed on nectar and pollen as they are often found around flowers. Larvae live in leaf litter and under bark, and thought to feed on organic matter. Lycid beetles contain chemicals that make them distasteful to predators, and rely on their bright aposematic colouration to ward off attackers. Many beetle species in other families mimic them, as do insects from other orders such as the Diptera, Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera.
This species features in my book A Naturalist’s Guide to the Insects of Australia