Melobasis Laporte & Gory 1837
Creators: name: Levey, Brian
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Buprestidae
Melobasis

description: The iridicolor species group
All species of the iridicolor species group have the mesanepisternum strongly microreticulate, but some have some small or large punctures as well (Figs 200, 201). This contrasts with most species of the nervosa species group in which the mesanepisternum is shiny with few or many large setae bearing punctures, however some species of the nervosa group e.g. M. sordida Blackburn have the mesanepisternum at least partly weakly to strongly microreticulate.
Key to the species of the iridicolor species group
1 Apical ventrite carinate in the midline in apical half (Fig. 137)................................... M. confundo sp. n.
- Apical ventrite not carinate in midline..................................................................... 2
2 Elytra blackish lilac with a short sutural vitta, basal angle and long lateral vitta, golden to reddish copper (Fig. 112); each elytron with indications of two costae; vertex clothed with moderately dense, long, pubescence; C. Queensland .............................................................................................. M. aurocincta Carter
- Without the above combination of characters............................................................... 3
3 Punctures near lateral margin of apical ventrite separate or contiguous, but not coalescing to form elongate grooves (Figs 140–146)............................................................................................ 4
- Punctures near lateral margin of apical ventrite coalescing and forming elongate grooves (Figs 147–159)................ 7
4 Elytra with at least indications of two costae in apical half; serrations of lateral margin of elytra finer, 20–29 serrations between point where elytra begins to narrow and suture; unicoloured golden green (♁) or brownish or greenish bronze (♀); species from S.W. Australia ........................................................................... M. imitator sp. n.
- Elytra without or with only indications of one costa in apical half; serrations of lateral margin of elytra coarser, 15–18 serrations between point where elytra begins to narrow and suture; bicoloured, with at least suture in basal quarter to two-thirds contrastingly coloured to the rest of the elytra; species from Queensland .......................................... 5
5 Antenna short, only reaching to the apical quarter of the pronotum when laid alongside; antennomeres 4–10 quadrate to strongly transverse; mesanepisternum weakly microreticulate and with small variously shaped punctures........................................................................................................ M. breviantennatus sp. n.
- Antennae longer, extending to midlength of pronotum or further when laid alongside; antennomeres 4–10 quadrate to strongly elongate; mesanepisternum strongly microreticulate, sometimes with a few shallow round punctures present............. 6
6 Antennomeres 5–10 in ♁ two to three times as long as wide, in ♀ almost quadrate to twice as long as wide; mid tibia in ♁ not emarginate in the distal third on the ventral face; aedeagus with apical part of parameres strongly expanded, the apex of the median lobe asymmetrical (Figs 166, 167)................................................ M. suturalis Thomson
- Antennomeres 5–10 in ♁ almost quadrate to 1.5 times as long as wide, in ♀ almost quadrate; mid tibia in ♁ emarginate in the distal third on the ventral face; aedeagus with apical part of parameres not strongly expanded, the apex of the median lobe symmetrical (Figs 168, 169)................................................................ M. dentata sp. n.
7 Head reddish purple in male, bright green or emerald green in female; pronotum golden to golden-green at the centre, broadly coppery to reddish purple at the sides in male; light green to emerald green at centre, more narrowly golden, coppery or reddish purple at the sides in female; elytra blue-black or deep violet with the basal margin, and a short sutural vitta golden or golden-green, and a broad reddish copper to reddish purple lateral vitta; punctation at centre of pronotum not very dense, most punctures well separated (Fig. 117).......................................................... M. tricolor sp. n.
- Colour not as above; punctation at the centre of pronotum dense or very dense, most punctures contiguous or nearly so.... 8
8 Punctation of internal half of elytra dense and strong, the punctures mainly separated by less than their own diameter; aedeagus symmetrical, apices of parameres with obvious spine like setae (Figs 172, 173); apical ventrite in ♁ produced at centre as a transversely sub-oblong flange (Fig. 149)...................................................... M. adamsi sp. n.
- Punctation of internal half of elytra less dense and weaker, the punctures mainly separated by their own diameter or more; aedeagus asymmetrical or symmetrical, apices of parameres with or without spine like setae; apical ventrite in ♁ produced at centre as an approximately triangular or broadly semicircular flange (Figs 151–159)................................ 9
9 Elytra dull brown purple-brown or dull reddish purple, sometimes basal margin, lateral half of elytra in basal quarter and the suture in the basal sixth, dull green; parameres of aedeagus with obvious spine like setae (Figs 174, 175).................................................................................................. M. edungalbensis sp. n.
- Elytra differently coloured; parameres of aedeagus without obvious spine like setae (Figs 176–183)................... 10
10 Elytra reddish violet; pronotum golden green, with an extensive reddish violet reflection at centre (Fig. 123); lateral margins of median lobe of aedeagus strongly serrate behind the apex, which is slightly asymetrical, very slightly produced on the right side (Figs 182, 183).................................................................. M. rufoviolacea sp. n.
- Elytra and pronotum differently coloured; lateral margins of median lobe of aedeagus not or less strongly serrate behind the apex (Figs 176–181).................................................................................. 11
11 Elytra blackish green or blackish lilac with a broad golden or copper coloured lateral vitta (Fig. 120)... M. aureovittata sp. n.
- Elytra reddish purple with a broad blue or blue-green lateral vitta (Figs 121, 122)................................. 12
12 Pronotum widest at or just behind midlength, the lateral margins curvilinearly converging from widest point to apical angles; pronotum predominantly deep dull green or dull purple (Fig. 121); apex of median lobe of aedeagus not assymetrical (Figs 178, 179); S. Queensland .................................................................... M. macqueeni sp. n.
- Pronotum widest near the basal third, the lateral margins rectilinearly converging from widest point to apical angles; pronotum predominantly golden green or blue green with purple to reddish purple markings (Fig. 122); apex of median lobe of aedeagus assymetrical Figs 180, 181); N. Territory, N. Queensland?...................................... M. iridicolor Carter
description: Published as part of Levey, Brian, 2023, A revision of the Australian species of the genus Melobasis Laporte & Gory 1837 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Part 3 (Revision of the azureipennis, cupricollis, iridicolor and melanura species groups), pp. 1-100 in Zootaxa 5302 (1) on pages 59-60, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5302.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8043117