Adults are approximately 25–38 mm long.
Fine-art photographic collection
Polybothris quadricollis
A broad-backed Madagascan jewel beetle whose rectangular thorax and mirrored underside make one body look like two species.
About this species
Polybothris quadricollis(Laporte & Gory, 1836)
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Polybothris quadricollis is a large endemic Madagascan jewel beetle named for its broad, almost quadrangular pronotum. A granular olive upper surface hides an exceptionally bright metallic underside.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Coleoptera · Buprestidae · Polybothris
Accepted taxon. · checked 2026-07-15
MadagascarBroad range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Madagascar
Forest and woodland with suitable larval wood.
Adults are strongest in sun and warmth.
Larvae bore beneath bark or in wood.
Solitary.
What makes this species remarkable?
Adults are documented at roughly 37–43 millimetres, giving this jewel beetle enough scale for every pit, ridge and metallic boundary to remain visible without magnification.
The name quadricollis refers to the unusually four-sided pronotum, a broad structural block that gives the beetle a square-shouldered silhouette before the elytra widen behind it.
The upper side can appear olive and heavily granular while the concealed underside flashes an intense metallic rainbow, so the beetle’s most spectacular colour is normally pressed against the bark rather than displayed.
Sources and scientific references
- GBIF — taxon record/search for Polybothris quadricollis
- Catalogue of Life — taxon search for Polybothris quadricollis
- GBIF accepted record and authorship for Polybothris quadricollis
- Faune de Madagascar — Buprestidae monograph
- Biodiversity Heritage Library search for the original combination Buprestis quadricollis
- Documented specimen-size search for Polybothris quadricollis