NEW ECOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE GREEN AND GOLD STAG BEETLE LAMPRIMA AURATA (SCARABAEOIDAE: LUCANIDAE) IN COASTAL TASMANIA

摘要

The distinctive green and gold stag beetles in the Genus Lamprima are widespread in humid coastal and near-coastal habitats from north Queensland to Tasmania, South Australia (L. aurata) and south west Western Australia (L. micardi), with endemic species on the oceanic islands of Lord Howe (L. insularis) and Norfolk (L. aenea). Another species (L. imberbis) is known from a single specimen collected many years ago in central coastal New South Wales and so far, all efforts to obtain additional specimens have failed (C. Reid pers. comm.) The genus is represented in New Guinea by L. adolphinae (C. Reid pers. comm; Suzuki 1995). The extensive range of L. aurata appears to represent a geographically varying cline with characters such as overall male size and mandibular length decreasing with latitude (C. Reid pers. comm; Mathews 1984; Suzuki 1995). Aspects of the life history and habits of L. aurata throughout much of its Australian range are poorly documented with the exception of Tasmania (Fearn 1996, 2015).