Jewel Beetle – Julodimorpha saundersii

Order Coleoptera; Family Buprestidae; Scientific name: Julodimorpha saundersii; Recent synonym: Julodimorpha bakewelli; Common name: Giant Jewel Beetle; Alternative common name: Jewel Bottle Beetle – Distribution in Australia: Western Australian endemic species; Behavioural note: Male Giant Jewel Beetles attempting to mate with a discarded beer bottle.  Females of this species are flightless and considerably larger than the males, they have also similar brown, textured surface as the discarded stubbies.  In species with considerably larger females, males tend to prefer the biggest females, hence the attraction to a very large replica female / beer bottle. Unfortunately this tendency for selecting the largest possible female and consequent substituting them for discarded beer bottles impacts rates of reproduction of this species.