Meliboeus, Prokhorov & Gubin, 2019

Prokhorov, Alexey V. & Gubin, Oleksandr I., 2019, Description of the larva of Meliboeus morawitzi (Semenov, 1905) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 4668 (1), pp. 115-125 : 122

Key to the Meliboeus larvae

1 Pronotum with single pronotal groove, which slightly bifurcate posteriorly; anal segment without setae; host plants: Quercus spp..................................................................... M. (s.str.) fulgidicollis (Lucas 1846)

- Pronotum with two pronotal grooves ( Figs 18, 19 , 28 , 34 ), anal segment with setae ( Fig. 24 ); host plants: herbaceous plants.. ................................................................................................... 2

2 Pronotal grooves straight and parallel in anterior half, weakly diverging and curved in posterior half; prementum with large triangle-shaped microsetal area, extending about 3/4 distance from anterior margin of prementum to imaginary line connecting the bases of apical setae of corner sclerites of prementum; host plants: Carduus spp., Carlina spp., Cirsium spp., Cousinia spp., Echinops spp.,? Eryngium spp., Onopordon spp............................ M. (Meliboeoides) parvulus (Küster, 1852)

- Pronotal grooves evenly diverging to posterior margin of pronotum ( Figs 18, 19 , 28 , 34 ); prementum with microsetal area of another shape........................................................................................ 3

3 Anterior margin of prementum convex ( Fig. 7 , 31 ); prementum with triangle-shaped microsetal area, extending about half or third distance from anterior margin of prementum to imaginary line connecting the bases of apical setae of corner sclerites; host plants: Artemisia spp.,? Centaurea spp.,? Clinopodium spp.,? Helichrysum spp.......... M. (s.str.) graminis (Panzer, 1799)

- Anterior margin of prementum almost straight ( Figs 6, 8 , 12, 16, 17 , 37 ); prementum with microsetal area of another shape.. ................................................................................................... 4

4 Posterior border of microsetal area of prementum strongly sinuous, extending about half distance from anterior margin of prementum to imaginary line connecting the bases of apical setae of corner sclerites, with deep median notch ( Fig. 8 , 37 ); host plant: Tanacetum vulgare ................................................. M. (s.str.) subulatus (Morawitz, 1861)

- Posterior border of microsetal area of prementum almost straight extending about 1/4 distance from anterior margin of prementum to imaginary line connecting the bases of apical setae of corner sclerites ( Fig. 6 , 16 ); host plants: Artemisia spp.............................................................................. M. (s.str.) morawitzi (Semenov, 1905)

Figures

FIGURES 18–21. Meliboeus morawitzi (Semenov, 1905), mature larva. 18 Pronotal plate of prothorax; 19 Pronotal grooves; 20 Prosternal plate of prothorax; 21 Prosternal groove.

FIGURES 26–31. Meliboeus graminis (Panzer, 1799), mature larva. 26 Epistome with labrum, dorsal view; 27 Labrum, dorsal view; 28 Pronotal plate of prothorax; 29 Prosternal plate of prothorax; 30 Labio-maxillary complex, external surface; 31 Prementum, external surface.

FIGURES 32–37. Meliboeus subulatus (Morawitz, 1861), mature larva. 32 Epistome with labrum, dorsal view; 33 Labrum, dorsal view; 34 Pronotal plate of prothorax; 35 Prosternal plate of prothorax; 36 Labio-maxillary complex, external surface; 37 Prementum, external surface (arrow shows posterior border of microsetal area with deep median notch).

FIGURES 22–25. Meliboeus morawitzi (Semenov, 1905), mature larva. 22 Mesothoracic spiracle; 23 Abdominal apex with terminal processes, dorsal view (setae not shown); 24 Terminal processes of anal segment, lateral view; 25 Abdominal spiracle (segment 2).

FIGURES 3–8. Larvae of Meliboeus, details of structure. 3–6 M. morawitzi (Semenov, 1905), mature larva: 3 Epistome with labrum, dorsal view (l: labrum, ac: anteclypeus, es: epistomal sensilla); 4 Labrum, dorsal view (aals: apical anterolateral seta, das: dorsal anterior seta, dps: dorsal posterior seta, ss: subapical seta, vs: ventral seta); 5 Right antenna, dorsolateral view (ts: trichosensillum, sa: sensory appendage, ps: palmate sensilla, bs: basiconic sensilla); 6 Prementum with apical setae of corner sclerites and microsetal area; 7 Prementum of M. graminis (Panzer, 1799), 8 Prementum of M. subulatus (Morawitz, 1861).

FIGURES 9–17. Meliboeus morawitzi (Semenov, 1905), mature larva. 9 Habitus, dorsal view; 10 Epistome with labrum, dorsal view; 11 Labrum, dorsal view (aals: apical anterolateral seta, das: dorsal anterior seta, dps: dorsal posterior seta, ss: subapical seta, vs: ventral seta); 12 Labio-maxillary complex, external surface (c: cardo, s: stipes, mp1: first segment of maxillary palpi, mp2 the second segment of maxillary palpi, p: prementum); 13 Right antenna, dorsolateral view (ts: trichosensillum, sa: sensory appendage, ps: palmate sensilla, bs: basiconic sensilla); 14 Right mandible, dorsal view (upper arrow shows the edge of penicillium, lower arrow shows the seta attachment); 15 Right mandible, lateral view (arrow shows the small tooth on the inner side of mandible); 16 Prementum, external surface; 17 Prementum and maxillary palp, internal surface (ma: mala, p: prementum).