Japanese Jewel Beetle

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.