When I first spotted these lustrous beetles going about there business on a tree trunk I thought they might be Christmas beetles. A bit of google research revealed their true identity.
According to the Queensland Museum website they are commonly known as jewel bugs. This particular species is the Hibiscus Harlequin Bug (tectocoris diophthalmus).
Females lay clusters of eggs around twigs and guard them until they hatch. The nymphs are often a different colour to the adults. The Hibiscus Harlequin Bug is found in coastal dunes, rainforest, open forest and gardens in northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea and some Pacific islands.
Length about 15 mm. The body is rounded and convex. Its colour varies, from pale orange to heavily patterned with metallic green, blue and red.
theINFP 
Wow – are they for real? They’re quite something – although I’m not sure I’d want one anywhere need me 😉
I know what you mean’ compared to the cockroaches here they’re pussy cats 🙂
so pretty are they real though.
Yes very real, they move about the same speed as a spider
Awesome
Wow. These colors are amazing. I really like bugs and miss them now that it is winter where I live.
I was surprised that I was able to capture the colours as they were in shadow and I don’t have a macro lens. It will be Spring with you soon enough Mike 🙂
Those are stunning! Nature is so beautiful.
David,
http://MasculineManhattan.com
Thank you David
These are exquisite. We saw some iridescent emerald green beetles in the Victorian High Country a week ago – when they fly, they look like little helicopters the way their wings whir. I have a new camera and was unable to get the macro function to work to capture the little beauties clearly (also haven’t read the manual yet…)
The emerald green beetles sound magical in flight, there’s always next time to capture their beauty 🙂