Yellow-shouldered Christmas Beetle vs Waterhouse Stag Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Yellow-shouldered Christmas Beetle Waterhouse Stag Beetle
Scientific Name Anoplognathus chloropyrus Phalacrognathus muelleri waterhouseorum
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Scarabaeidae Lucanidae
Size 16-22 mm 25-65 mm
Habitat Forests Mountains
Diet Root Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Australia, Oceania New Guinea
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Yellow-shouldered Christmas Beetle

A medium-sized Christmas beetle recognisable by its yellowish-green pronotum contrasting with darker brown elytra. It is widespread in eastern Australian eucalyptus forests.

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Did You Know?

Like other Christmas beetles, the larvae spend up to two years underground before emerging as adults in summer.

Waterhouse Stag Beetle

A subspecies of the rainbow stag beetle from New Guinea with even more vivid metallic coloring. Highly prized by collectors.

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Did You Know?

They display some of the most intense structural coloration found in any beetle species.