Anoplognathus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Ordo: Coleoptera
Subordo: Polyphaga
Infraordo: Scarabaeiformia
Superfamilia: Scarabaeoidea

Familia: Scarabaeidae
Subfamilia: Rutelinae
Tribus: Anoplognathini
Subtribus: Anoplognathina
Genus: Anoplognathus
Species (38): A. abnormis – A. aeneus – A. aureus – A. blackdownensis – A. boisduvalii – A. brevicollis – A. brunnipennis – A. chloropyrus – A. concolor – A. daemeli – A. debaari – A. flindersensis – A. hilleri – A. hirsutus – A. macalpinei – A. macleayi – A. montanus – A. multiseriatus – A. narmarus – A. nebulosus – A. olivieri – A. pallidicollis – A. parvulus – A. pindarus – A. porosus – A. prasinus – A. punctulatus – A. rhinastus – A. rothschildti – A. rubiginosus – A. rugosus – A. smaragdinus – A. storeyi – A. suturalis – A. velutinus – A. vietor – A. viridiaeneus – A. viriditarsis

[Source: Catalogue of Life: 2013 Annual Checklist]
Name

Anoplognathus Leach, 1815
Synonyms

Paranonca Castelnau, 1840
References
cited sources

Castelnau, F.L., Laporte de 1840: Histoire Naturelle des Insectes Coléoptères, avec une introduction renfermant l'anatomie et la physiologie des animaux articulés, par M. Brullé. Vol. 2 . Paris: P. Duménil. BHL

Additional references

Allsopp, P.G. 2010: Two new species of Anoplognathus Leach (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) from Queensland. Australian entomologist, 36: 213–220. ISSN: 1320-6133 [not seen]
Carne, P.B. 1957: A revision of the ruteline genus Anoplognathus Leach (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Australian journal of zoology, 5(1): 88–144. DOI: 10.1071/ZO9570088 Reference page.
Lansberge, G., van 1873: Notice sur la Paranonca prasina, Castelnau. Annales de la Société entomologique de Belgique, 16: 195–196. BUGZ

Christmas beetle is a name commonly applied to the Australian beetle genus Anoplognathus. They are known as Christmas beetles because they are abundant in both urban and rural areas close to Christmas. Christmas beetles are large (20–30 mm long) members of the scarab family that are noisy and clumsy fliers, similar to the cockchafers of Europe. They typically have elytra that are dark or light brown, or green, while some species have a green-yellow iridescence.

The genus includes 35 species, several of which have been implicated in dieback of eucalypts. Anoplognathus pallidicollis is the species most commonly observed and associated with the name of Christmas beetle. However, there is a tendency for the name Christmas beetle to be used more ambiguously to refer to other metallic beetles not in this family, such as the stag beetle genus Lamprima.[1]
Species

Species include:

Anoplognathus abnormis
Anoplognathus aeneus
Anoplognathus aureus
Anoplognathus blackdownensis
Anoplognathus boisduvalii
Anoplognathus brevicollis
Anoplognathus brunnipennis
Anoplognathus chloropyrus
Anoplognathus concolor
Anoplognathus daemeli
Anoplognathus flindersensis
Anoplognathus hirsutus
Anoplognathus macalpinei
Anoplognathus macleayi
Anoplognathus montanus
Anoplognathus multiseriatus
Anoplognathus narmarus
Anoplognathus nebulosus
Anoplognathus olivieri
Anoplognathus pallidicollis
Anoplognathus parvulus
Anoplognathus pindarus
Anoplognathus porosus
Anoplognathus prasinus
Anoplognathus punctulatus
Anoplognathus rhinastus
Anoplognathus rothschildti
Anoplognathus rubiginosus
Anoplognathus rugosus
Anoplognathus smaragdinus
Anoplognathus suturalis
Anoplognathus velutinus
Anoplognathus viridiaeneus
Anoplognathus viriditarsis

References

"Christmas Beetles" in Tasmania

Anoplognathus, ANIC Specimen Database. Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO Entomology