Jewelry Beetle - Sternocera aequisignata

Описание: This is a jewelry beetle from Thailand. There are several species used in jewelry.

Sternocera aequisignata (Thailand) - The elytrons (wings) of Real Jewel Beetle. This bug is 100% natural, nothing has been done to it. This one was found in 1986!

From Wikipedia
Sternocera aequisignata is a species of beetles belonging to the Buprestidae family. Its bright metallic green elytra are frequently used jewellery making.

Contents

1 Description
2 Distribution
3 Lifecyle
4 Relationship to humans
4.1 As food
4.2 In jewellery making
5 References
6 External links

Description

Sternocera aequisignata can reach a length of about 30–50 millimetres (1.2–2.0 in). Elytra and pronotum have a beautiful metallic emerald iridescence. Pronoum is densely punctured.
Distribution: This species occurs across southern Asia,[1] including India, Thailand and Myanmar.
Lifecyle: The female lays eggs singly in soil at the base of the host plants. Each female is capable of laying 5-12 eggs, which take 2 months to hatch.[2] The hatched larva has five instar stages. Stages 1 to 4 remain in the soil for 3–4 months where they feed upon the roots of the adult host plants.[2] The 5th instar can be found above ground, until it returns underground again to pupate. Adult beetles have a short lifespan of 1–3 weeks, though the complete life cycle takes up to two years.[3]
Relationship to humans: As food - S. aequisignata and the similar S. ruficornis are both consumed by humans as a source of food in northern Thailand, Laos, and China.[4] This is one of the major sources of their decline in that area.[3]
In jewellery making - The bright metallic green elytra of S. aequisignata are collected and used as a material in jewellery making.[3][4]