Euchroma giganteum Giant Tropical Insect Coleopter Jewel Beetle Buprestidae

Description

Origin : Peru (Satipo)

Size : mm 55-60

Euchroma giganteum giganteum Large cm 5-6 Tropical Insect Coleopter Giant Jewel Beetle or Metallic Wood-Boring Beetle Buprestidae.
Common name: Metallic Wood Boring Beetle or Giant Metallic Ceiba Borer.
Syn. Buprestis gigantea.

Euchroma giganteum is a species of beetle in the family Buprestidae, the only species in the genus Euchroma. It is one of the largest of the buprestid beetles, reaching a length of about 50–80 mm.
Catoxantha and Megaloxantha (on sale on our website) are among the few other members of the family that reach comparable sizes. The body of E. giganteum is stout and elongated, and the elytra have a wrinkled surface and a metallic green color with reddish or purple hues. The pronotum has a dark spot on each side. The larvae reach an enormous length, up to 15 cm.
Males apparently attract females with a clicking sound produced by the elytra. This species usually mates in August. While adults are usually found on tree trunks, the larvae feed on decaying wood, especially from the Bombacaceae family (kapok trees, mainly Ceiba pentandra), but also Araucaria and Ficus species. This species is native to Central and South America, living in the warm regions of the Amazon up to altitudes of 1200 m. above sea level.
6 subspecies are known:
Euchroma giganteum giganteum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Euchroma giganteum goliath (Laporte & Gory, 1836)
Euchroma giganteum harperi Sharp, 1881
Euchroma giganteum incum Obenberger, 1928
Euchroma giganteum peruanum Obenberger, 1928.