BuprestidaeMore Buprestidae Jewel Beetles Astraeus Calodema plebeia Castiarina Cyrioides Diadoxus Diphucrania Melobasis Merimna atrata Metaxymorpha gloriosa Stigmodera Temognatha Torresita cuprifera
Merimna atrata (family Buprestidae – Jewel Beetles) is the only member of the genus Merimna (thus monotypic), and is widespread across most of continental Australia.
Known as the ‘fire beetle’ due to it’s behaviour of being attracted to heat and fires. The mated females will happily lay their eggs in the freshly-opened cracks of timber straight after a fire, even if the burnt plant is still smouldering. They are attracted to camp fires, mistaking them for a bushfire, and to a hot brick wall after a very hot day.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Coleoptera
- Suborder: Polyphaga
- Superfamily: Buprestoidea
- Family: Buprestidae
- Subfamily: Buprestinae
- Tribe: Melanophilini
- Genus: Merimna
- Species: Merimna atrata
Footnote & References
- Many thanks for ID to Allen Sundholm, creator of Australasian Beetles Only, Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1180404322409639/
- Merimna atrata (Gory & Laporte, 1837), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/12cb9375-591a-4088-b949-7586fffe9a68
BuprestidaeMore Buprestidae Jewel Beetles Astraeus Calodema plebeia Castiarina Cyrioides Diadoxus Diphucrania Melobasis Merimna atrata Metaxymorpha gloriosa Stigmodera Temognatha Torresita cuprifera
ColeopteraAmarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Buprestidae Cerambycidae Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Digitonthophagus gazella Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Johannica gemellata (Pandorea Leaf Beetle) Ladybirds (Beetles) Lepidiota Lucanidae Neospades sp Lycidae Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsisterna sp Pittosporum Leaf Beetle (Lamprolina impressicollis) Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhipiceridae Scarabaeidae Xylophilostenus octophyllus
InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera (True Bugs) Mango Planthopper Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Syrphidae Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub