Austrophorella quadrisignata ( Saunders, 1872 )

Bellamy, C. L., 2006, Studies on the Australian Chalcophorini: a new genus for Chalcophora subfasciata Carter, 1916 and a review of the Pseudotaenia Kerremans, 1903 generic-group (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Zootaxa 1206 (1), pp. 23-46 : 39

Austrophorella quadrisignata ( Saunders, 1872)

(Figure 4)

Chalcotaenia quadrisignata Saunders 1872: 245 ; Waterhouse 1875: 203; Chalcophora quadrisignata: Kerremans 1885: 127 ; Masters 1886: 70; Kerremans 1892: 43; Pseudotaenia quadrisignata : 1903: 81; 1909: 93; Obenberger 1926: 146; Carter 1929: 300;

Hołyṅski 1993: 21; Bellamy 2002: 56. Austrophorella quadrisignata: Tôyama 1986: 192 ; Chalcotaenia ignita Neervoort van de Poll 1886: 222 (variety of quadrisignata ); Kerremans 1892:

43; Obenberger 1926: 146; Bellamy 2002: 56.

Type locality. “ Queensland.”

Specimens examined. The types of this species ( quadrisignata BMNH ) and its junior synonym ( ignita MNHN ), have not been examined.

Distribution. Australia New South Wales, Queensland.

Larva: Bílý & Volkovitsh 2003: 112.

Biology/Bionomy: Barnard (1890) discussed A. quadrisignata ; the adult and larval host is Alphitonia excelsa (Fenzl) Reiss. ex Benth (new larval host record). Mark Hanlon (in litt.) wrote: “ one specimen from 2.5 km E of Duaringa, Qld collected on 10 Jan 1999 by sweeping the leaves of Alphitonia excelsa ('red ash'). Also collected at same place was a billet which contained 2 larvae of A. quadrisignata from the trunk of A. excelsa . The billet was 3–3.5 cm in diameter and 25 cm in length and was collected because there was a small area of dead wood on the trunk of a living plant. I cut the larva from the billet and preserved it in late October 2001 and gave it to S. Bílý for the description ( Bílý & Volkovitsh 2003: 112.). A comment from Dennis Kitching is that he has observed fresh emergence holes in the trunks of A. excelsa which appear to match that of A. quadrisignata (adults were collected on the surrounding plants) and that upon returning to the same site two months later the emergence holes had been almost completely eliminated by the tree growing over the holes. Within six months there is no outward sign of any previous emergence. One specimen was collected at Mourangee Station, ca. 20km E of Duaringa on 17 Jan 1999. The specimen was sitting on leaves of A. excelsa at its crown, approx 2 m. from ground. Three specimens collected by Michael Powell and myself on 9 Jan 2000 at summit of Mt. Inkerman, Qld from leaves of A. excelsa . Six specimens collected on 27 Dec 2001 at Mourangee Station by Stuart Adams and myself. Adults were on "yellow wood", a name used by Stuart and his father Ernest, and were found by tapping the tree with a small sledge hammer which caused the beetles to fly out and on to nearby trees of the same spe­ cies. I did not take samples to identify the tree however it is quite likely to be Terminalia oblongata F. Muell. which is known as yellow wood. It is not Flindersia xanthoxyla (A.Cunn. ex Hook.) Domin. which is also known as ‘yellow wood’. Trees were on average 8– 9 m. tall.” Allen Sundholm added: “Alex Scott, Roger de Keyzer, Joe Stivala and I collected it from the leaves of Alphitonia sp. growing along a very small watercourse (filled by monsoonal rains) 9 km NW of Belyando Crossing [BBS, S21° 29' 47" E146° 47' 24"] in Jan 1999 (the area has since been largely cleared). It occurs near Lightning Ridge [DRP, S29° 24' 20.2" E147° 58' 49.9"] in far central­northern NSW, a specimen was collected there by James Forman of Sydney.” A specimen deposited in AMSA from Narrabri, NSW is probably from the most southerly locality known.