Gothic Beetle

[LittleHiss]

It's a beetle, not a reptile but there aren't any other identification threads, so sorry, mods, but I don't know where else for this to go.

I'm from the Southern Tablelands, and I just found this little guy dead, belly up, next to my dogs' big water bath shell. These photos don't do the colouring of this guy any justice; it's a bright, fluorescent lime-green, like what's on some of the road workers' jackets. His body is the same sort of build as a christmas beetle, but smaller (the size of a $2 coin) and flat on top.

I've looked and looked but I can't find any other photos of this species anywhere. It is the most beautiful beetle I have ever seen and I haven't seen them, or anything like them, anywhere else, ever. I would really like to know whatever any of you can tell me about him, thanks. Also, I'm not into collecting insects and pinning them to boards, but I'd really like to know how I could preserve him and keep his colour the way it is.

 

[Asharee133]

Fiddler beetle get him/her encased in resin!

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http://lifeunseen.com/index2_item_2951.php

 

[sharky]

I agree! Then you'll have him forever!!! How awesome would that be?

 

[LittleHiss]

Thankyou so much! What an awesome name, haha. Are they common where you're from?

 

[Bez84]

I found one of those at the end of last year, took a couple pics and released it.
Im in port macquarie, mid north coast.

 

[LittleHiss]

This one, I think died from the heat that we got today as it was completely unharmed. No one I have spoken to has seen anything like it around here before. So, I'm thinking that because of the heat (where I'm from is usually a whole lot colder than port macquarie) they're confused and hanging out here?

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I agree! Then you'll have him forever!!! How awesome would that be?

Yeah... But putting him in a block of resin sort've creeps me out.

 

[Asharee133]

I googled it. I've never seen one.

 

[jack]

looks bleached, they usually are quite dramatically yellow and black (at least the shoalhaven/southern highland species)

 

[jedi_339]

The larvae live and eat rotting wood, I've found a few before as larvae, I put them in a container till they turned into adults and I think they might've been green and black here in SEQ

Also know as Rose chafer I believe.