Phyllotocus scutellaris, a species of Coleoptera on Kunzea ambigua. Paruna Reserve, Como NSW Australia November 2010.

Phyllotocus scutellaris is described by Britton as having a pale reddish yellow pronotum and elytra, with the surface of the elytra being slightly iridescent. See Britton, E.B. 1957. A Revision of the Australian Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). London : British Museum Vol. 1 vii 185 pp.

Chafers are scarab beetles belonging to the subfamily Melolonthinae. This beetle is quite small, about 8 mm long, a member of the tribe Sericini. In NSW, Phyllotocus is the only genus of Serecini longer than about 7 mm.

In the 1920s these beetles were known as honey scarabs:

Another group is the “honey scarabs” which love the flowers of the bush and are found in great numbers on flowers of Leptospermum (tea tree), some of the Kunzeas and others. It is a light brown colour usually, while some individuals are of darker colour. The best known of this group is the Genus Phyllotocus.