Anthaxia nitidula
Anthaxia nitidula
The brilliant metallic green and gold colors are not pigments but structural colors created by light reflecting off microscopic layers in their exoskeleton.
- Scientific name
- Anthaxia nitidula
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Coleoptera › Buprestidae › Anthaxia
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous forest edges, meadows, and orchards where sunlight reaches the understory.
- Diet
- Adults feed on pollen and nectar; larvae consume the dead wood of fruit trees like cherry and plum.
- Range
- Europe, North Africa, Middle East, Turkey
- Size
- 5-7 mm in length
- Lifespan
- 1-2 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Intensive forestry, removal of fallen branches, and agricultural pesticide use.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. These beetles are shy and will fly away if approached too closely. Safe to observe without special equipment; avoid handling to prevent stress to the insect.
Anthaxia nitidula is a species of jewel beetles belonging to the family Buprestidae, subfamily Buprestinae.
Photo: Guido Bohne, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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