Subspecies Melobasis gloriosa gloriosa (Laporte & Gory, 1837)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Buprestis gloriosa Laporte de Castelnau, F.L. & Gory, H.L. 1837. Histoire Naturelle et Iconographie des Insectes Coléoptères. Monographie des Buprestides. Histoire naturelle de iconographie des insectes Coléoptères. Monographie des buprestides. Buprestis, Nascio, Acherusia, Asthraeus, Bulis, Acantha, Apatura. Paris : P. Duménil Vol. 1(12–16) 65-160 pp. [123].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNHP sex unknown, Australia (as Nouvelle-Hollande).
• Melobasis pulchra Blackburn, T. 1891. Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions of new genera and species. Part X. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 14: 292-345 [294].

  Type data:

   Holotype NMV sex unknown, MacDonnell Ranges, NT.
• Melobasis purpureosignata Thomson, J. 1879. Typi Buprestidarum Musaei Thomsoniani, Appendix 1a. Paris : E. Deyrolle 87 pp. [18] [junior homonym of purpureosignata Laporte & Gory, 1837].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNHP sex unknown, Swan-River, Australia.
• Melobasis thomsoni Blackburn, T. 1890. Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions of new genera and species. Part VIII. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 13: 121-160 [146] [nom. nov. for purpureosignata Thomson, 1879].
• Melobasis cuprina Kerremans, C. 1898. Buprestides nouveaux de l'Australie et des régiones voisines. Annales de la Société Entomologique de Belgique (Comptes-rendus) 42: 113-182 [122].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH sex unknown, Australia (as Australie).
• Melobasis bimetallica Carter, H.J. 1923. A revision of the Australian species of the genus Melobasis (Fam. Buprestidae, Order Coleoptera), with notes on allied genera. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 1923(1–2): 64–105, pls I,II [88].

  Type data:

   Holotype NMV T12034 ♀, Perth, WA.
• Buprestis gloriosa Hope, 1836 [nomen nudum].

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Carter, H.J. 1923. A revision of the Australian species of the genus Melobasis (Fam. Buprestidae, Order Coleoptera), with notes on allied genera. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 1923(1–2): 64–105, pls I,II [81]
• Levey, B. 2012. A Revision of the Australian species of the genus Melobasis Laporte & Gory 1837 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Part 1 (Introductory material, key to species-groups and keys to species of the thoracica, pusilla, formosa, propinqua & gloriosa species-groups). Zootaxa 3464: 1-107 [71] (for Melobasis cuprina Kerremans 1898 and Melobasis bimetallica Carter 1923)

 

Distribution

States

Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

WA: Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Burt Plain (BRT), Esperance Plains (ESP), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Mallee (MAL), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR), Yalgoo (YAL)

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: diurnal, herbivore (associated flora: Xanthorrhoea preissii Endl. [XANTHORRHOEACEAE] Blackboy (on leaves); Eucalyptus sp. [MYRTACEAE] Gum Tree (on leaves); Casuarina sp. [CASUARINACEAE] She-Oak (on leaves); Melaleuca sp. [MYRTACEAE] Tea-tree (on leaves); Acacia sp. [FABACEAE] Wattle (on leaves); Daviesia sp. [FABACEAE] (on leaves); Gompholobium sp. [FABACEAE] (on leaves); Nuytsia sp. [LORANTHACEAE] (on leaves); Jacksonia spp. [FABACEAE] (on leaves); Mirbelia sp. [FABACEAE] (on leaves); Adenanthos sp. [PROTEACEAE] (on leaves); Hakea sp. [PROTEACEAE] (on leaves)), volant.

Larva: wood-borer.

Extra Ecological Information

Williams & Williams (1983) recorded this species from Acacia parramattensis, although this plant species apparently does not occur within the known distribution of M. gloriosa. Levey (2012: 73) states: "Adults have been collected on the following genera of Fabaceae: Acacia, Daviesia, Dillwynia, Gompholobium, Jacksonia and Mirbelia, and the following genera of other families. Casuarinaceae: Casuarina sens. lat.. Loranthaceae: Nuytsia. Myrtaceae: Eucalyptus, Melaleuca. Proteaceae: Adenanthos, Hakea. Xanthorrhoeaceae: Xanthorrhoea.

Associated Flora References

Bellamy, C.L. 2002. Coleoptera: Buprestoidea. In Houston, W.W.K. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 29.5. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing, Australia. pp. XII 491 +4 colour pls [152] (Casuarina sp.)

Bellamy, C.L., Williams, G.A., Hasenpusch, J. & Sundholm, A. 2013. A summary of the published data on host plants and morphology of immature stages of Australian jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), with additional new records. Insecta Mundi 0293: 1-172 [61] (Casuarina sp.)

Hawkeswood, T.J. 1987. Beetles of Australia. North Ryde, NSW : Angus & Robertson 248 pp. [65, plate 91] (Casuarina sp.)

Hawkeswood, T.J. 2011. Review of the biology and host plants for the Australian species of the genus Melobasis Laporte & Gory, 1837 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Calodema 183: 1-23 [6] (Casuarina sp.)

Levey, B. 2012. A Revision of the Australian species of the genus Melobasis Laporte & Gory 1837 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Part 1 (Introductory material, key to species-groups and keys to species of the thoracica, pusilla, formosa, propinqua & gloriosa species-groups). Zootaxa 3464: 1-107 [73] (Casuarina sp.)

Williams, G.A. & Williams, T. 1983. A list of the Buprestidae (Coleoptera) of the Sydney basin, New South Wales, with adult food plant records and biological notes on food plant associations. Australian Entomological Magazine 9(6): 81-93 [86] (Casuarina sp.)