''Chondropyga dorsalis'', the cowboy beetle, is a large

beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Description

The cowboy beetle grows to 20–25 mm (0.8–1 in) long with females generally slightly larger than males. It has a yellow-brown colouration and when in flight produce a loud buzzing noise which creates the illusion of a large wasp. It also does this when it feels threatened.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in south eastern Australia - throughout Victoria, New South Wales and part of Queensland. Adults feed on nectar while larvae live in rotten wood. They live in woodlands, dry

sclerophyll Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short Internode (botany), internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or ...

forests and residential gardens.

Life cycle

Eggs are laid in damp locations in or around rotting logs. Once hatched, the larvae feed on the rotting timber until ready to pupate. They construct their pupae from mud and rotting debris. Adults emerge in summer. Adults feed on nectar-bearing shrubs and trees.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chondropyga Dorsalis Cetoniinae Beetles of Australia Beetles described in 1805 Taxa named by Edward Donovan