Copiacyphon variabilis (Armstrong, 1953) (a species of marsh-beetle)

Semmens, T.D., McQuillan, P.B. & Hayhurst, G. (1992). Catalogue of the Insects of Tasmania. Government of Tasmania: Department of Primary Industry, 104 pp. (as Pseudomicrocara variabilis)

TMAG collections

Source literature on morphology and taxonomy (*primary taxonomic source, where identified):
Watts, C.H.S. (2007). Revision of Australian Pseudomicrocara Armstrong (Coleoptera: Scirtidae). Trans. Roy. Soc. S. Aust. 131 (1): 1-82.
Watts, C.H.S, Bradford, T.M., Cooper, S.J.B & Libonatti, T.M. (2020). New genera, species and combinations in the Pseudomicrocara Armstrong group (Coleoptera: Scirtidae) based on morphology supported by mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequence data. Zootaxa 4831: 1 -66.

Assumed larval feeding: detritivore
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 a year of felling (Grove & Bashford, 2003) — 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: — Beating vegetation (species not specified) — Emergence trapping from log of Eucalyptus obliqua — Hand collection from flowers of Eucryphia lucida (Ettershanks & Ettershanks, 1993) — Hand collection from flowers of Eucryphia milliganii (Ettershanks & Ettershanks, 1993) — Knockdown fogging of canopy of Nothofagus cunninghamii — Malaise trapping — Pitfall trapping — Sticky trapping on Eucalyptus obliqua.

Source ecological literature:
Grove, S.J. & Bashford, R. (2003). Beetle assemblages from the Warra log decay project: insights from the first year of sampling. Tasforests 14: 117-129.
Grove, S.J. (2009b). Beetles and fuelwood harvesting: a retrospective study from Tasmania’s southern forests. Tasforests 18: 77-99.
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.
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.
Harrison, K.S. (2007). Saproxylic beetles associated with habitat features in Eucalyptus obliqua trees in the southern forests of Tasmania. PhD thesis, Dept. of Zoology, Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart.