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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Chrysochroa fulgidissima
Coleoptera / Buprestidae
Chrysochroa fulgidissima is an elongated jewel beetle with brilliant green upper surfaces crossed by red-purple longitudinal stripes. Its abdomen is green-gold below. The contrasting hues arise from microscopic layers within the exoskeleton.
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Chrysochroa fulgidissima (Schönherr, 1817) belongs to Buprestidae in Coleoptera. The nominal subspecies, Chrysochroa fulgidissima fulgidissima, is represented by a documented Taiwan museum specimen. [1]
The pronotum and elongated wing covers are metallic green with red-purple longitudinal stripes. Below, the abdominal exoskeleton has a green-gold appearance. [2]
The nominal form occurs in northern Taiwan. A National Museum of Natural Science specimen was collected at Fushan in Wulai on 2 July 2015. [1]
Microscopy identifies alternating chitin-rich and melanized layers near the outer cuticle. Their thickness and refractive properties control which wavelengths are strongly reflected. Layers in the red-purple regions differ from those in the green regions. [3]
The 2026 study modelled six sampled regions of the pronotum, wing covers and ventral abdomen. Calculated reflectance spectra broadly agreed with measured spectra, linking differences in the microscopic layers to the beetle’s contrasting visible colours. [2]
Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.
National Museum of Natural Science, Taiwan · Accessed 2026-10-11
Stavenga; Journal of Comparative Physiology A (2026) · Accessed 2026-10-11
Stavenga, Wilts, Leertouwer and Hariyama; Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B (2011) · Accessed 2026-10-11
Sources checked 2026-10-11. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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