''Ophidius histrio'' is a species of

click beetle Elateridae or click beetles (or "typical click beetles" to distinguish them from the related families Cerophytidae and Eucnemidae, which are also capable of clicking) are a family (biology), family of beetles. Other names include elaters, sna ...

in the genus ''

Ophidius ''Ophidius'' is a genus of click beetles in the subfamily Parablacinae. It includes four species, all endemic to eastern Australia. Taxonomy and history Belgian entomologist Ernest Candèze described the genus ''Ophidius'' and two new species, ...

'' endemic to eastern

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 ...

Taxonomy and history

This species was described as ''Elater histrio'' by

Jean Baptiste Boisduval Jean Baptiste Alphonse Déchauffour de Boisduval (24 June 1799 – 30 December 1879) was a French lepidopterist, botanist, and physician. He was one of the most celebrated lepidopterists of France, and was the co-founder of the Société ento ...

in 1835 but was transferred to the genus ''Ophidius'' by

Ernest Candèze Ernest Charles Auguste Candèze was a Belgian doctor and entomologist who was born 22 February 1827 at Liège and died in Glain, 30 June 1898. He studied in Liège under Jean Theodore Lacordaire (1801–1870), then studied medicine in Paris a ...

in 1863.

Distribution and habitat

''Ophidius histrio'' is known from

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

and

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

in eastern Australia.

Description

Adult ''Ophidius histrio'' are distinctive orange-brown beetles with black markings, measuring approximately long and wide. The head is entirely black, while the

pronotum The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on e ...

is typically marked with three longitudinal black lines. The

elytra An elytron (; ; : elytra, ) is a modified, hardened forewing of beetles (Coleoptera), though a few of the true bugs (Hemiptera) such as the family Schizopteridae are extremely similar; in true bugs, the forewings are called hemelytra (sometime ...

each have a pattern of curved black lines. The

larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...

have not been described.

Ecology

''Ophidius histrio'' adults have been found on ''

Syzygium smithii ''Syzygium smithii'' (formerly ''Acmena smithii'') is a summer-flowering, winter-fruiting evergreen tree, native to Australia and belonging to the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It shares the common name "lilly pilly" with several other plants. It is p ...

'' and on the flowers of ''

Bursaria ''Bursaria'' is a genus of eight species of flowering plants in the family Pittosporaceae and is endemic to Australia. They are shrubs or slender trees, often with spiny branches and have Leaf#Divisions of the blade, simple leaves, relatively s ...

'' and ''

Leptospermum ''Leptospermum'' is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae commonly known as tea trees, although this name is sometimes also used for some species of ''Melaleuca''. Most species are endemic to Australia, with the greate ...

''.

References

Elateridae Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Boisduval Beetles described in 1835 Beetles of Australia Fauna of New South Wales Fauna of Queensland Endemic fauna of Australia {{elateridae-stub