Chauliognathus lugubris | |
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Coleoptera |
Family: | Cantharidae |
Genus: | Chauliognathus |
Species: | C. lugubris
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Binomial name | |
Chauliognathus lugubris
Fabricius, 1801
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Chauliognathus lugubris, the plague soldier beetle, green soldier beetle or banana bug, [1] is a species of soldier beetle (Cantharidae) native to Australia. [2] It has a flattened body to 15 millimetres (0.59 in) long with a prominent yellow-orange stripe behind the black prothorax. [3] The abdomen is yellow-orange but is mostly obscured by the metallic olive green elytra. [3]
Plague soldier beetles are most common in spring and early summer, and have an adult lifespan of 2-3 months. [4] They are most commonly found in the temperate region of southeast Australia, [5] and are occasionally found in parts of the southwest. [6]
The beetles often swarm in large, localised groups around flora such as shrubs and trees, primarily to mate and eat. [3] [5] [7] These swarms can include hundreds of thousands of beetles. [8]
As adults, plague soldier beetles are thought to feed on pollen and nectar. [5] While in their larval stage, plague soldier beetles live in soil and are thought to feed on smaller, soft-shelled invertebrates. [5] [9]