Feather Horned Beetle

Recently, I came across a ‘flush’ of these beetles flying through the canopy of some young eucs in the Bunyip Sanctuary, (Doran Rd Bunyip).

A little bit of patience was required while they settled down a bit and began to land on nearby vegetation and shrubbery.

CSIRO Entomology – “This small family has not been well studied in Australia and as a result little is known of their biology and ecology. There are only 6 species of Rhipiceridae in Australia and all belong to the genus Rhipicera. Adults range in size from 10 to 25 millimetres in length and can be recognised by their large fan-like antennae.” 

Museums Victoria – “In Feather-horned Beetles, the large male antennae are used to locate a female beetle when she is emitting a mating pheromone. Though the larvae have never been found it is thought that they may be parasites of cicadas…”