Melobasis ordinata, Levey, 2023

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), Zootaxa 5302 (1), pp. 1-100 : 54-59

M. ordinata sp. n.

(Figs 81, 84, 90, 99, 100, 107, 108)

Type locality: New South Wales, Quibray Bay .

Type specimens examined. Holotype ♁ ( ANIC) Quibray Bay NSW, 27.viii.83. S. Watkins / Acacia longifolia sophorae / ex. B. Levey coll. / HOLOTYPE Melobasis ordinata sp. n. B. Levey 2013. Paratypes as follows: New South Wales: 46♁, 31♀ ( ANIC, BLC, GWC, NMWC) same data as holotype, but various dates: 21.viii.83; 27.viii.83; 4.ix.83; 10.ix.83; 17.ix.83; 1.x.83; 8.x.83; 22.x.83; 1♁ ( ANIC) Armidale, N.S.W. Deuquet; 1♁ ( ANIC) Barrengarry Mt., 6 ml. N.W. Kangaroo Valley, N.S.W., 11.x.49, K.H.L. Key; 1♁, 1♀ ( ANIC) Belmore , ix.03, F.T.; 5♁, 2♀ ( ANIC) Berkshire Park , Acacia suaveolens , various dates: 28.viii.83; 12.ix.82; 25.ix.83, S. Watkins; 1♀ ( ANIC) Bullock Crk , 9 km. S.W. of Ebor, N.S.W., 12.xii.83, Acacia sp. , S. Watkins; 16♁, 16♀ ( ANIC, BLC, CLBC) Calsil Dune , Kurnell Peninsula , NSW, S. Watkins, Acacia longifolia sophorae , various dates: 1.viii.1983; 4.ix.83; 10.ix. 83; 24.ix.83; 1.x.83; 15.x.83; 22.x.83; 1♁ ( ANIC) Heathcote Rd. nr. Lucas Hts., 18.ix.82, Acacia sp. , S. Watkins; 1♁ ( ANIC) Dorrigo, N.S.W., W. Heron; 2♁, 4♀ ( ANIC, BLC) Waterfall , NSW, Acacia longifolia, S. Watkins , various dates 28.viii.82; 5.ix.82; 18.ix.82; 25.ix.82; 1.x.83; 1♀ ( BLC) Menai , NSW, 8.x.83, S. Watkins; 9♁, 5♀ ( ANIC, BLC) Lapstone Hill , NSW, S. Watkins, various dates; 28.viii.83; 12.ix.82; 11.xi.83; 25.ix.83; 2.x.83; 16.x.83; various hosts: Acacia cultriformis ; bipinnate wattle; 1♀, 3 unsexed ( BLC, JTC) N.S. Wales, Hill End , various dates 25.10.83; 30.10.83; 5.12.83, J.R. Turner, on Acacia dealbata ; 1♀ ( ANIC) 9 m. S.W. Milbrodale, N.S.W., 27.x.56, P.B. Carne; 1♀ ( ANIC) Mittagong, N,S. Wales ; 1♀ ( AMSA) near Nelsons Bay , Pt. Stephens, N.S.W., 26.viii.20, A. Musgrave, K43257 ; 2♁, 1♀ ( ANIC) Rockley, N.S.W. ix.33, HJC ; 1♀ ( ANIC) Rose Bay , ix.1895, Acacia longifolia ; 1♀ ( ANIC) Wyong, N.S.W., H.J.C. 3.ix.27 ; A.C.T.: Blundell’s 10.x.30, W.K. Hughes, on Acacia ; Victoria: 1♀ ( BMNH) Blackburn, 1.x.33, T.G. Mills ; 1♀ MVMA) Brighton ; 1♁ ( MVMA) Caulfield, V., x.18; C. Oke ; 1♁ ( MVMA) Cockatoo, V., 26.ix.42, F.E. Wilson ; 3♁, 3♀ ( BLC, MVMA) F. T. Gully [Ferntree Gully], Victoria, J.E. Dixon ; 4♀ ( ANIC, BLC, MVMA) Ferntree Gully, V., F.E. Wilson ; 1♀ ( QMA) F. T. Gully [Ferntree Gully] ; 1♀ ( QMA) Ferntree Gully, V. 17.ix.27, A.H. Westley ; 3♀ ( BLC, MVMA) Eltham, Oct. 1925 ; 1♀ ( AMSA) Eltham, Victoria, 30.ix.24, J.E. Dixon ; 1♀ ( ANIC) Fern Tree Gully, Vict., 10.47. E.S. ; 1♁, 1♀ ( MVMA) G’Maggie, Vic. [possibly Glenmaggie], xi.62 & 13.xi.63, A.L. Brown ; 1♀ ( GBC) 32 mls N.E. of Goulburn, Vic. 24.9.82, G. Burns ; 1♀ ( ANIC) Inverloch, Vic. 25.ix. 1965 ; 2♁ ( MVMA) Launching Place, V., 12.x.19, C. Oke ; 2♁ ( GBC) 3.8 mls S.E. of Longford, Vic. 27.9.83, G. Burns ; 1♁ ( BLC) Melton, V., ix.59., E. Smith ; 1♀ ( MVMA) Melton, 24.x.36, F.E. Wilson ; 1♁, 2♀ ( GBC) Moorooduc, Vic. 1.10.83, G. Burns ; 1♁, 1♀ ( MVMA) Mordialloc, V. 20.x.30; A.L. Brown ; 1♁, 1♀ ( MVMA) Seabord [probably Seaford], J.E. Dixon ; 3♁ ( MVMA) Seaford, 24.ix.27 ; 1♁ ( MVMA) S. Morang, 28.ix.13 ; 1♁ ( GBC) Springvale, V., 15.ix.45, E.J.W. Harris ; 2♁, 1♀ ( AMSA, MVMA) Springvale, 23.ix.23, L.B. Thorn ; 6♁, 5♀ ( ANIC, BLC) Moe, Vict. C.G.L. Gooding, various dates: 15.i.55; 4.4.46; 10.6.1946; 7.9.45; 7.9.51 ; 2♁, 1♀ ( MVMA) Wattle Glen, 18.ix.26 & 23.ix.23 ; 1♁ ( MVMA) Woori Yallock, 10.xii.17 ; 1♁ ( MVMA) Yinnar, Vic., 22.ii.56, bred in Acacia sp. , A.L. Brown ; 1♀ ( ZMC) Vict., 12.9.1914, Mus. Hauschild. Queensland: 1♀ ( ANIC) Glen Aplin ; 5♁, 1♀ ( ANIC, GHNC) Fletcher S.Q. E. Sutton, various dates: 22.ix.45; 26.ix.43; 13.ix.47 ; 1♁ ( ANIC) Stanthorpe, S.Q. 1954, A.G. ; 2♁ ( ANIC) Stanthorpe, Queensland, E. Sutton ; 4♀ ( QMA) Stanthorpe, Q., wattle, various dates 26.ix.22; 2.8.25 ; 2♁ ( SAMA) Stanthorpe, Q., various dates 1.x.23; 6.x.26 ; 1♁ ( MVMA) Stanthorpe, Q., 19.x.27, E. Sutton. Australia: 5♁, 2♀ ( ZMHB) no further data .

Other specimens examined. New South Wales: Armidale; Bulli; Moppy Lookout, N.E. Barrington Tops S.F.; Cox’s Rd. Forest Lands S.F., N.E. of Deepwater; Bombala, Coolangubra S.F.; Charlestown; Sydney, Cumberland S.F.; Sydney, W. Pennant Hills, Cumberland S.F.; Brindabella Range, Blundells Creek Rd.; 3 km. S. of Waterfall; 20 km. N. of Raymond Terrace; Newbys Lane, Lansdowne, nearNelsons Bay, Pt. Stephens Victoria: Churchill N.P., Eltham. Queensland: Fletcher; Stanthorpe. Specimens in AMSA, ANIC, CLBC, FCNSWA, GWC, IRSNB, QMA, TMSHC.

Diagnosis. General diagnosis: length 7.7–11.1 mm; head in ♁ green, with upper quarter to half of vertex with a golden to reddish-purple reflection, ♀ entirely brownish- or blackish-bronze; pronotum and elytra in both sexes olive green or brownish-bronze, sometimes with an extensive coppery, or a slight reddish-purple reflection; underside in both sexes, brownish- to blackish-bronze, laterally moderately densely clothed with moderately long, silvery pubescence, central part of the prosternum, prosternal process, mesosternum, central parts of metaventrite and abdominal ventrites glabrous.

Head ( Fig. 90 ): in ♁ contiguously punctate with very small strong round punctures, densely clothed with long silvery pubescence; in ♀ very densely to contiguously punctate with often slightly weaker punctures, densely clothed with silvery pubescence; clypeal excision very shallow arcuate, with a fairly broad, reticulate, impunctate border; clypeal peaks poorly developed, obtuse angled; clypeal angles not, or little indicated; vertex flat, in ♁ slightly less than half width of head across eye, in ♀ about half width of head across eyes, when viewed from above; eyes in ♁ very strongly convex, in ♀ strongly convex.

Antenna: not sexually dimorphic; segment 4 triangularly expanded, segments 5–10 with expansion quadrate.

Pronotum: 1.64–1.80× as wide at base as long in midline; anterior margin weakly bisinuate with a weakly to moderately developed median lobe, with a narrow beaded margin; posterior margin weakly to moderately strongly biarcuate; widest at base or near basal third; lateral margins parallel to weakly rectilinearly diverging from basal angles to widest point, sometimes with a slight sinuation just anterior to the basal angles, before weakly curvilinearly converging to apical angles; basal angles slightly acute; as wide at base as elytra at base; lateral carina well defined, straight to slightly curved, about two-thirds to three-quarters complete; punctation in central half moderately dense to dense, consisting of transversely ellipsoidal punctures; punctation in lateral half very dense to contiguous, the punctures transversely ovate to ellipsoidal next to the central half, becoming round close to the lateral margin; spaces between punctures imperceptibly to weakly microreticulate; sometimes with a partial or complete impunctate median line; glabrous, or with moderately long silvery pubescence in the anterior quarter.

Scutellum: quadrate to slightly transverse, heart to shield shaped, about one-twelfth to one- thirteenth width of elytra at base; microreticulate.

Elytra: 2.55–2.76× as long as wide at base; basal margin weakly biarcuate, slightly widening from base over the humeral callosities thence parallel sided to slightly widening to midlength, before narrowing to the rounded apices; lateral margins from midlength and apices serrate, with acute serrations; sutural margins slightly raised in apical half to two-thirds; each elytron with two or three costae in internal half, the punctation adjacent to costae 1 and 2 arranged in regular longitudinal series, the punctures tiny, round, sparse, those of the subsutural depression slightly smaller; punctation in external half very dense to contiguous, consisting of larger, transversely oval to ellipsoidal punctures, partly arranged in transverse rows; shiny to very weakly microreticulate.

Hypomeron ( Fig. 84 ): very densely to contiguously punctate with small, deep, round and ovate punctures, with dense, moderately long silvery pubescence, bottom of punctures shiny.

Prosternum: with a broad bead at the anterior margin; the anterior margin at the same level as the area behind; prosternal process slightly to strongly widening distally, very sparsely to moderately densely punctate with tiny to small, round punctures, glabrous.

Mesanepisternum: densely punctate with small punctures of variable shape, but inner third of sclerite sometimes sparsely punctate.

Central part metaventrite, inner part of metacoxa, central part of abdominal ventrites glabrous, more sparsely and weakly punctate than lateral parts of these structures which are very densely punctate with lunate punctures, with moderately dense, moderately long silvery pubescence.

Apical ventrite ( Figs 99, 100 ): lunate punctures very dense to partly coalescent near the lateral margin, but not forming grooves; excision in ♁ broad, U shaped, with a moderately broad slightly rounded or weakly triangular lobe at the centre, with moderately long, well developed, slightly divergent lateral spines ( Fig. 99 ); ♀ narrower, U shaped, with a moderately broad flange for its entire width, the lateral spines well developed slightly divergent ( Fig. 100 ).

Fore tibia: slightly curved, with a slightly developed setal brush on the anterior face at the apex in ♁; tibia slightly less curved in ♀.

Mid tibia: almost straight without teeth or a depression along the ventral face in both sexes.

Tarsal claws widened at the base but without a basal tooth.

Aedeagus ( Figs 107, 108 ): parameres slightly constricted before the apical setae bearing part; apical setae bearing part with lateral margins weakly curved, not widenened, with some short, slightly curved spine like setae, in addition to the usual long fine setae; median lobe with a slightly acuminate tip.

Ovipositor: about 1.75× as long as wide.

Comments: This species is most similar to M. cupricollis and M. jacquelinae . See comments under M. cupricollis .

Etymology. This species is named for the regularly ordered, seriate punctation adjacent to costa 1 and 2 of the elytra.

Bionomics. Adults collected from August to June, most records being in September and October. Adults have been collected on Acacia spp. , including A. cultriformis , A. dealbata , A. longifolia sophorae , A. suaveolens . Larval hosts A. dealbata , A. longifolia , A. mucronata .

Figures

FIGURES 87–93. 87–91 head:87.M.cupricollis Kerremans (J Warrumbungle Ranges, N.S.W.ANIC); 88. M.apicalis Macleay (J Mt. Hopeful, Q. TMSHC); 89. M. conicollis Obenberger (holotype ♀); 90. M. ordinata sp. n. (J); 91. M. jacquelinae Turner & Hawkeswood (J Queensland ANIC). 92–93 fore tibia M. apicalis Macleay (J Mt. Hopeful, Q. TMSHC): 92 anterior view; 93. posterior view. Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 82–86. 82 dorsal habitus: M. jacquelinae Turner & Hawkeswood (♀ Stanthorpe, Q.) Scale bar = 5.0 mm; 83–84 hypomeron: 83. M. cupricollis Kerremans; 84. M. ordinata sp. n. 85–86 prosternal process: 85. M. apicalis Macleay (J Mt. Hopeful, Q. TMSHC); 86. M. jacquelinae Turner & Hawkeswood (J Berkshire Park, N.S.W. BLC). Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 94–100. apical ventrite: 94. M. cupricollis Kerremans (J Warrumbungle Ranges, N.S.W. ANIC); 95. M. cupricollis Kerremans (♀ Cabramatta, N.S.W.); 96. M. apicalis Macleay (J Mt. Hopeful, Q. TMSHC); 97. M. apicalis Macleay (♀ Mt. Hopeful, Q. TMSHC); 98. M. conicollis Obenberger (holotype ♀); 99. M. ordinata sp. n. (J Quibray Bay, N.S.W. BLC); 100. M. ordinata sp. n. (♀ Menai, N.S.W. BLC). Scale bars = 1.0 mm.

FIGURES 107–110. aedeagus & apex of parameres: 107–108. M. ordinata sp. n. (Quibray Bay, N.S.W.); 109–110. M. jacquelinae Turner & Hawkeswood (Berkshire Park, N.S.W.). Scale bars of aedeagus = 1.0 mm; scale bars for apex of parameres = 0.5 mm.