Golden Stag Beetle

Golden Stag Beetle

Lamprima aurata

Endemic
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Brisbane

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

30 Verified sightings at Brisbane
106 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Golden Stag Beetle

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.

This beetle has an oval, shiny body. 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. 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.

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

The larvae are sapro-xylophagous and will spend two years feeding on rotting logs. Adults are free-flying and will move about on the ground during the... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
2 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~20%
3 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
4 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
5 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
6 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
7 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hobart 🇦🇺 Australia
~40%
2 Melbourne 🇦🇺 Australia
~10%
3 Brisbane 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
4 Sydney 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Golden Stag Beetle in Brisbane?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Stag Beetle sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 396th most-seen of the 1083 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Golden Stag Beetle in Brisbane?

November to January

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Stag Beetle in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in February to October, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Golden Stag Beetle?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden Stag Beetle sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Brisbane the best place to see a Golden Stag Beetle?

3rd of 4

Of the 4 cities where we can rate Golden Stag Beetle sightings, Brisbane ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Hobart (Australia, about 40%) and Melbourne (Australia, about 10%).

Where does the Golden Stag Beetle sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Golden Stag Beetle is recorded against all the insects logged in Brisbane (30 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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