Species Torresita cuprifera (Kirby, 1818)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Buprestis cuprifera Kirby, W. 1818. XXVIII. A description of several new species of insects collected in New Holland by Robert Brown, Esq. F.R.S. Lib. Linn. Soc. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 12: 454-482 pls XXI-XXIII [457].

  Type data:

   Holotype whereabouts unknown sex unknown, Australia (as New Holland).
• Buprestis chrysoptera Boisduval, J.A. 1835. Voyage de Découvertes de l'Astrolabe exécuté par ordre du Roi, pendant les années 1826–1827–1828–1829, sous le commandement de M.J. Dumont d'Urville. Faune Entomologique de l'Océan Pacifique, avec l'illustration des insectes nouveaux recueillis pendant le voyage. 2me Partie. Coléoptères et autres Ordres. Paris : J. Tastu vii 716 pp. [Date published 27-III-1835] [95].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNHP sex unknown, Australia (as Nouvelle-Hollande).
• Buprestis chrysochloris 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. [122].

  Type data:

   Holotype OUM sex unknown, Australia (as Nouvelle-Hollande).
• Torresita aenea Thomson, J. 1879. Typi Buprestidarum Musaei Thomsoniani, Appendix 1a. Paris : E. Deyrolle 87 pp. [23].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNHP sex unknown, Australia.
• Torresita cuprifera limbata Carter, H.J. 1934. Australian and New Guinea Coleoptera. Notes and new species. No. iii. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 59(3-4): 252-269 [258] [unavailable name, variety of cuprifera Kirby, 1818].

  Type data:

   Holotype NMV sex unknown, Forest Reefs, NSW.
• Melobasis dilatata Redtenbacher, L. 1867. Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den befehlen des Commodore B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair. Zoologischer Theil. Coleoptera. Wien : Karl Gerold's Sohn Vol. 2(1) 249 pp. [85].

  Type data:

   Holotype whereabouts unknown sex unknown, Sydney, NSW.

  Type locality references:

  Obenberger, J. 1930. Buprestidae 2. pp. 213-568 in Junk, W. & Schenkling, S. (eds). Coleopterorum Catalogus. Berlin : W. Junk Vol. 111. [424].

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Carter, H.J. 1929. A check list of the Australian Buprestidae. With tables and keys to sub-families, tribes, and genera (by A. Théry). The Australian Zoologist 5(4): 265-304 [Date published 24 Mar 1929] [286]

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Victoria

IBRA and IMCRA regions

drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones

IBRA

NSW, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Flinders (FLI), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), NSW North Coast (NNC), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • New South Wales: SE coastal
  • Victoria: Murray-Darling basin, SE coastal

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: diurnal, florivore (associated flora: Kunzea ericoides (A.Rich.) Joy Thomps. [MYRTACEAE] Burgan (on flowers); Ceratopetalum gummiferum Sm. [CUNONIACEAE] Christmas Bush (on flowers); Angophora hispida (Sm.) Blaxell [MYRTACEAE] Dwarf Apple (on flowers); Alphitonia excelsa (A.Cunn. ex Fenzl) Benth. [RHAMNACEAE] Red Ash (on flowers); Eucalyptus sieberi L.A.S.Johnson [MYRTACEAE] Silvertop Ash (on flowers); Leptospermum flavescens Sm. [MYRTACEAE] Tantoon (on flowers); Melaleuca sp. [MYRTACEAE] Tea-tree (on flowers); Syzygium floribundum F.Muell. [MYRTACEAE] Weeping Satin Ash (on flowers); Leptospermum polygalifolium Salisb. [MYRTACEAE] (on flowers); Leptospermum whitei Cheel [MYRTACEAE] (on flowers)), volant.

Larva: wood-borer (associated flora: Rhodomyrtus psidioides (G.Don) Benth. [MYRTACEAE] Native Guava).

Extra Ecological Information

Hawkeswood (1978) recorded this species from Leptospermum flavescens and L. phylicoides; Williams & Williams (1983) added Angophora hispida and Eucalyptus sieberi; Williams (1985) recorded the emergence of two colour forms, as varieties chrysochloris and dilatata, of this species from dead, dry trunk wood of Rhodomyrtus psidioides (Myrtaceae); Williams (1995) added Waterhousea floribunda (Myrtaceae) and Alphitonia excelsa (Rhamnaceae). This species has also been recorded attracted to a high intensity mercury vapour light (Williams 1982).

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 [111] (Leptospermum flavescens)

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 [58] (Leptospermum flavescens)

Hawkeswood, T.J. 1978. Observations on some Buprestidae (Coleoptera) from the Blue Mountains, N.S.W. The Australian Zoologist 19(3): 257-275 [260] (Leptospermum flavescens)

Hawkeswood, T.J. 1987. Pollination of Leptospermum flavescens Sm. (Myrtaceae) by beetles (Coleoptera) in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia. Giornale Italiano di Entomologia 3: 261-269 [266] (Leptospermum flavescens)

Hawkeswood, T.J. 2007. Review of the biology of the genus Torresita Gemminger & Harold, 1869 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Calodema Supplementary Paper 21: 1-2 [1] (Leptospermum flavescens)

Webb, G.A. 1987. Beetle visitors to flowers of Angophora hispida (Sm.) Blaxell (Myrtaceae) and some other Angophora in the Sydney Region. Australian Zoologist 23: 59-62 [62] (Leptospermum flavescens)

Williams, G.A. 1985. New larval food plants for some Australian Buprestidae and Cerambycidae (Coleoptera). Australian Entomological Magazine 12(3, 4): 41-46 [42] (Leptospermum flavescens)

Williams, G.A. & Adam, P. 1998. Pollen loads collected from large insects in Australian subtropical rainforests. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 120: 49-67 [52] (Leptospermum flavescens)

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] (Leptospermum flavescens)

 

Note

The situation with two or three varietal names, as presented by Carter (1929) and Williams (1985) needs to be clarified. With two colour forms emerging from the same host, the need for infrasubspecific names seems unwarranted.

 

General References

Bellamy, C.L. 1990. A new species of Maoraxia Obenberger from Mindanao, with a comments on its relationships within the Anthaxiini (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Elytron 3: 187-194 [191]

Burns, G.G. & Burns, A.J. 1992. The distribution of Victorian jewel beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) - an ENTRECS project. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Victoria 5: 1-53 [7] (Map 26)

Carter, H.J. 1921. Results of Dr. E. Mjöberg's Swedish scientific expeditions to Australia 1910–1913. 25. Buprestidae. Arkiv för Zoologi 13(22): 1-6 [2] (chrysochloris)

Carter, H.J. 1929. A check list of the Australian Buprestidae. With tables and keys to sub-families, tribes, and genera (by A. Théry). The Australian Zoologist 5(4): 265-304 [Date published 24 Mar 1929] [286]

Hawkeswood, T.J. 1978. Observations on some Buprestidae (Coleoptera) from the Blue Mountains, N.S.W. The Australian Zoologist 19(3): 257-275 [260] (host notes)

Masters, G. 1886. Catalogue of the described Coleoptera of Australia. Part III. Lucanidae and Scarabaeidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 2 1: 21-126 [72] (chrysochloris 2665, cuprifera 2666, chrysoptera 2669, dilatata 2674)

Obenberger, J. 1930. Buprestidae 2. pp. 213-568 in Junk, W. & Schenkling, S. (eds). Coleopterorum Catalogus. Berlin : W. Junk Vol. 111. [423]

Obenberger, J. 1930. Buprestidae 2. pp. 213-568 in Junk, W. & Schenkling, S. (eds). Coleopterorum Catalogus. Berlin : W. Junk Vol. 111. [428] (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement ? Melobasis)

Saunders, E. 1868. A revision of the Australian Buprestidae described by the Rev. F. W. Hope. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 16: 1-67 [Date published April 1868] [12] (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement chrysochloris, cuprifera as Plagiope)

Williams, G.A. 1982. A note on Buprestidae (Coleoptera) observed at lights. Australian Entomological Magazine 8(6): 81 [81]

Williams, G.A. 1985. New larval food plants for some Australian Buprestidae and Cerambycidae (Coleoptera). Australian Entomological Magazine 12(3, 4): 41-46 [42] (larval host plant)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
03-Oct-2024	BUPRESTIDAE Leach, 1815	03-Oct-2024	MODIFIED
16-Jun-2022	BUPRESTIDAE Leach, 1815	10-Sep-2024	MODIFIED
04-Aug-2021	BUPRESTIDAE Leach, 1815	03-Oct-2024	MODIFIED
24-Dec-2020	BUPRESTOIDEA	03-Oct-2024	MODIFIED
01-Jul-2020	POLYPHAGA	03-Oct-2024	MODIFIED	Max Beatson
05-Mar-2019	BUPRESTIDAE Leach, 1815	03-Oct-2024	MODIFIED
05-Mar-2019	Buprestinae Leach, 1815	03-Oct-2024	MODIFIED
05-Mar-2019	Buprestinae Leach, 1815	03-Oct-2024	MODIFIED
28-Jan-2014	BUPRESTIDAE Leach, 1815	03-Oct-2024	MODIFIED	Dr Federica Turco (QM)
		03-Oct-2024	MODIFIED