A Piece of Aussie History

The Botany Bay Weevil (Chrysolopus spectabilis) pictured below, also known as the Diamond Beetle, is the first Australian insect to be described from the Cook expedition of 1770 (the species that is, not this particular insect). Only four other insects were collected on that trip.

Botany Bay Weevils live exclusively on a few select wattles, several of which are found in the King Parrot Creek valley. The adults feed on the young leaves and the grubs live in the root system of the same plant.

As with other weevils I have photographed the response of this weevil when disturbed is to either drop off the plant and disappear into the long grass or cling onto something for grim death. Lucky it chose the latter…it’s easier to photograph.