Select Page

Heteronyx tasmanicus Blackburn, 1909 (a species of scarab-beetle)

Basis for Tasmanian occurrence
Semmens, T.D., McQuillan, P.B. & Hayhurst, G. (1992). Catalogue of the Insects of Tasmania. Government of Tasmania: Department of Primary Industry, 104 pp.

TMAG collections

Classification
Order: Coleoptera

Suborder: Polyphaga

Superfamily: Scarabaeoidea

Family: Scarabaeidae

Subfamily: Melolonthinae

Tribe: Heteronycini

Morphology
Typical length (mm): 13
Flightedness: winged and assumed capable of flight
Ecology
Assumed larval feeding: root-feeder
Association with dead wood or old trees: not saproxylic

Ecological attributes: — May occupy logs or trunks of Eucalyptus obliqua, at least temporarily, since found having emerged within six years of felling (Grove et al., 2009).

Collection method(s) for TMAG material: — Emergence trapping from log of Eucalyptus obliqua — Hand collection (substrate not specified) — Malaise trapping — Pipe trapping — Pitfall trapping.

Source ecological literature:
Baker, S.C. (2000). Forest litter beetles and their habitat: a comparison of forest regenerated by wildfire and logging practices. Hons. thesis, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Baker, S.C. (2006b). Ecology and conservation of ground-dwelling beetles in managed wet eucalypt forest: edge and riparian effects. PhD thesis, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.
Driscoll, D. A. (1010). Few beetle species can be detected with 95% confidence using pitfall traps. Aust. Ecol. 35: 13-23.
Grove, S. et al. (2009). A long-term experimental study of saproxylic beetle … succession in Tasmanian Eucalyptus … logs… In: Fattorini, S. (Ed.), Insect Ecology and Conservation. Research Signpost, pp. 71-114.
Michaels, K.F. (1999a). Carabid beetles as biodiversity and ecological indicators. PhD thesis, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.

Species image
Map image