#1582 - Zopherosis georgii - Ironbark Beetle
Spotted by Julie Ward, in Eungella National Park near Mackay, Queensland, snacking on a fungus. I recognised it immeadiately, not because I’ve ever seen one before, and they certainly aren’t common, but there IS a superbly detailed illustration in the CSIRO’s Insects of Australia Vol. 2.
Not much is known about their biology, but they are most often found on the branches of ironbark trees, to which they have a strong resemblance. One other common name is the Tim-tam Beetle, after the chocolate-covered biscuit.
The Zopheridae family now includes the Monommatidae and the Colydiidae, making a total of over 100 genera in the redefined family, and hundreds of species worldwide. Common names for some of the members include ironclad beetles, and cylindrical bark beetles. They often have very thick exoskeletons, which does not make pinning a specimen easy (hammers are required), and in the Yucatan individuals are bejewelled and bedazzled with fake gemstones, bric-à-brac and imitation gold, attached to a blouse by a small chain, and used as living brooches.