For many years the iridescent presence of Christmas beetles during summer on the lawns of Australian backwards were a common sight. However, a perception exists that these iconic Australian insects have declined in quantity.

Stephen Hill asked Associate Professor Tanya Latty from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney about what is happening to the Christmas Beetle population, about the efforts for the public to crowdsource location data and about how these insects serve the ecosystem.

Image: A native punctate flower chafer (Neorrhina punctatum). Tanya Latty

Produced By: Stephen Hill

Featured In Story: Associate Professor Tanya Latty, the School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 20 December 2023