Colpochila Erichson, 1843

Sub family: Melolonthinae / Tribe: Liparetini / Genus: Colpochila

Medium to large cylindrical beetles, Body length 11-33mm. Body colouration black, reddish, yellowish or brown, not metallic. Clypeus with a rounded apex. Labrum situated below and not fused to the clypeus (clearly separate), commonly with an anterior cavity. Anterior face of labrum as deep or deeper than anterior face of clypeus. Antennae 8-9 segmented, with 3/4/5/6/ or 7 lamellate club. Pronotum anterior margin with a membraneous border. Propygidium and penultimate ventrite separated by a suture on each side. Apical spurs on the hind tibia widely separated, so that the tarsi can pass between them. Tarsal claws simple.

There are around 133 recognised species of Coplochila. The genus resides in the tribe Liparetini which share the following features:

 Body colour not metallic. Apical spurs on the hind tibia widely separated, so that the tarsi can pass between them. Claws simple, lacking teeth. Labrum located below clypeus, clearly separate. Mesosternum without a forwardly projecting process. Abdominal ventrites lacking longitudonal ridges. Tibia strongly expanded at their apices, lateral profile of hind tibia concave between the transverse spinose ridge and the apex.

Coplochila can be distinguished from the other Liparetini in the key (Liparetrus, and Costelytra zealandica) by their much larger usual size, and greater number of antennal club segments (3 segmented for both Liparetus and C. zealandica).

An updated key to the genera of Australian Liparetini can be found in Weir et.al. (2019).

Biological information for most Colpochila species is unknown.

Larvae are soil dwellers, feeding on organic matter and roots. Adults are foliage feeders, active from dusk till dawn and attracted to lights.

The Genus Colpochila only occurs in Australia. Species can be found across all Australian states and territories, from inland central grasslands and semideserts, to Far North Queensland and Tasmania. Higher speciation occurs in dryer areas, and around half of the known species occurr in Western Australia.

Britton, E.B. 1986. A revision of the Australian chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) Vol. 4. Tribe Liparetrini: genus Colpochila. Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series. 34.

Britton, E.B. 1990. A synopsis of the Australian Genera of Liparetrini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). Invertebrate Systematics, 4 (1), 159-195

Weir T.A., Lawrence J.F., Lemann C., Gunter N.L. 2019. 31. Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae Leach, 1819. In: Australian Beetles. Volume 2. Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga (part) (eds A Ślipiński & JF Lawrence) pp. 516–530. CSIRO, Clayton, Australia.