Common Christmas Beetle vs Scarlet Pergid Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Common Christmas Beetle Scarlet Pergid Sawfly
Scientific Name Anoplognathus pallidicollis Pergagrapta polita
Order Coleoptera Hymenoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Pergidae
Size 20-30 mm 10-16 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Root Feeders Herbivores
Regions Australia Eastern Australia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Common Christmas Beetle

A glossy golden-brown scarab beetle that swarms around lights during the Australian summer. It is the most commonly encountered Christmas beetle species.

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Did You Know?

Their emergence in December each year gave them the common name Christmas beetle.

Scarlet Pergid Sawfly

A brightly colored Australian sawfly with a polished dark body and reddish highlights. Larvae feed on eucalyptus and are often found in clusters.

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Did You Know?

The genus Pergagrapta is endemic to Australia and represents part of the remarkable radiation of pergid sawflies on that continent.