Classification: | Kingdom: Animalia | Phylum: Arthropoda | Class: Insecta | Order: Coleoptera | Family: Buprestidae | Genus: Endelus |

When compared to Endelus cupido, Endelus bakerianus is smaller and darker in colour. These beetles are found on two species of climbing ferns commonly found in Singapore. The left picture below showed one of this tiny beetle on the frond (leaf) of the climbing fern, Lygodium flexuosum. The right picture below showed 2 beetles on another species of climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum, which has a shorter fronds (leaves) of up to 4 cm compared to Lygodium flexuosum of up to 9 cm. In November 2015, I found the beetle on the third climbing fern, Lygodium longifolium.

In a report published in 1924 in a journal from Philippine (page 629), two species of beetle from the genus Endelus (Endelus bakerianus and Endelus aphanisticinus) were noted from specimen collected in Singapore. Separately, the Singapore Biodiversity encyclopedia (page 353) recorded that the native Endelus species is Endelus bakerianus and it feeds on the climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum). Also, its lavae are leaf miners that tunnel through the fronds of this fern. In 2001, Endelus bakerianus was collected in Singapore and Thailand by the United States Agricultural unit in an effort to find a good and effective biological control agents for climbing fern. From what I read, it seems that this beetle was not qualified for the task.

Reference:

(1) Obenberger, J. 1924. A study of the Buprestidae, collected by Charles Fuller Baker in Singapore, Borneo, and the Philippine Islands. Philippine J. Sci. 25(5):539-660.

(2) Bellamy, C. L. and Nelson, G. H. 1989. Lectotype designations in the Buprestidae collections of the National Museum of Natural History (Coleoptera). Insecta Mundi. Paper 456.

(3) Bellamy, C. L. 2007. The genera Aphanisticus Latreille and Endelus Deyrolle in Fiji (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Aphanisticini). Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 93: 13-25.

(4) Goolsby, J. A., Wright, A. D. and Pemberton, R. W. 2003. Exploratory surveys in Australia and Asia for natural enemies of Old World climbing fern, Lygodium microphyllum: Lygodiaceae. Biological Control 28: 33-46.