Lamprima aurata

Lamprima aurata
Adult male
Adult female
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Lucanidae
Genus:	Lamprima
Species:	L. aurata
Binomial name
Lamprima aurata Latreille, 1817
Synonyms
Lamprima cuprea Latreille, 1817 Lamprima latreillii Macleay, 1819 Lamprima pygmaea Macleay, 1819 Lamprima fulgida Boisduval, 1835 Lamprima micardi Reiche, 1841 Lamprima rutilans Erichson, 1842 Lamprima splendens Erichson, 1842 Lamprima viridis Erichson, 1842 Lamprima nigricollis Hope in Westwood, 1845 Lamprima purpurascens Hope in Westwood, 1845 Lamprima sumptuosa Hope in Westwood, 1845 Lamprima tasmaniae Hope in Westwood, 1845 Lamprima varians Burmeister, 1847 Lamprima cultridens Burmeister, 1847 Lamprima amplicollis Thomson, 1862 Lamprima krefftii Macleay, 1871 Lamprima violacea Macleay, 1885 Lamprima mandibularis Macleay, 1885 Lamprima sericea Macleay, 1885 Lamprima nigripennis Macleay, 1885 Lamprima minima Macleay, 1885 Lamprima mariae Lea, 1910 Lamprima coerulea Boileau, 1913 Lamprima insularis Boileau, 1913 (Homo.)

Lamprima aurata, the golden stag beetle, is a species of beetle in the family Lucanidae. In Tasmania, this species is referred to by the common name of Christmas beetle, a name that is normally used for beetles in the family Scarabaeidae, genus Anoplognathus.^[1]

This beetle has an oval, shiny body.^[2] It measures between 15 and 25 mm in length. It is fairly variable in coloration, so it has been given many names by various authors.^[3] The colour of the males is typically metallic golden green or yellow with colorful legs, while females may be blue, blue-green or dull brown. Females are smaller than the males, and males have larger mandibles prolonged forwards used for fighting. ^[4][2]

Lamprima aurata is native to Australia and can be found in Tasmania and south-eastern mainland Australia in dry sclerophyll forests.^[2]

Of the five species in the genus Lamprima, only two occur on the Australian mainland: L. aurata and the closely related L. imberbis, which live in northeastern New South Wales.^[3]

The larvae are sapro-xylophagous and will spend two years feeding on rotting logs.^[1][2] Adults are free-flying and will move about on the ground during the day and drink the nectar of flowers, especially eucalypts.^[2] Males can be found on rotting logs defending their territory.^[2]

• 
  Golden stag larva
• 
  Illustration of male by Des Helmore

• L. aurata at CSIRO