Melobasis soror subsp. basicostata, Levey, 2018

Levey, Brian, 2018, A revision of the Australian species of the genus Melobasis Laporte & Gory 1837 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Part 2 (Revision of the nervosa species group), Zootaxa 4528 (1), pp. 1-79 : 42-43

M. soror basicostata ssp. n.

(Figs 35, 92–93, 145–146, 168, 181)

Type locality: Western Australia, Perth, Mon Repos .

Type specimens examined. Holotype ♂ ( SAMA) Mon Repos, W.A., Acacia , 16-XII-56 / ex coll. S. Barker. Paratypes as follows [all bearing label PARATYPE Melobasis soror basicostata ssp. n. B. Levey]. 1♀ ( SAMA) Mon Repos , Wattle, 12.XII.54 / ex coll. S. Barker ; 3♂, 1♀ ( ANIC) Eradu , W.A. Sept. 1926 , H.J. Carter; 1♀ ( BMNH) W. Australia, Dongarra , 26.ix.- 3.x.1935 , R.E. Turner. B.M. 1935-240. 1♂ BMNH as above but 6-19.ix. 1935 .; 1♀ ( ANIC) 11 km N. of Geraldton , W.A., 23.ix.72 , N. Mc Farland; 1♂ Lake Indoon , 13 km WSW of Eneabba, W.A. D. Knowles, 18 Sep. 1999 , on Acacia saligna ; 1♂, 1♀ ( NMWC) W. AUSTRALIA: 3 km N. of turnoff to Cervantes on Indian Drive , 30?26′4″ 115?5′2″, 21.ix.2012 . B. Levey. Acacia sp. NMW.Z. 2012.071; 1♂, 1♀ ( BLC, NMWC) W. AUSTRALIA: Coronation Beach , 25 km N. of Geraldton, 28?33′5″ 114?33′53″, 22.ix.2012 . Flowering Acacia . B. Levey. NMW.Z. 2012.071 ; 1♂ ( ANIC) Kalbarri , W.A. 15 Sept. 1981, L.P. Kelsey coll. , behind dunes, sweeping heath; 1♀ ( ANIC) Geraldton , W.A. 16 August 1962 , F.H. Uther-Baker; 1♀ ( QMA) Nabawa , W.A. 22.viii.1973 , T.E. Woodward/ UQIC Donation 2011.

Other specimens examined. Western Australia: Chapman River; Coronation Beach; Dongara, 43 km S. of; False Entrance; Geraldton; Greenough; Kalbarri, 4 km E. of; Leemann; Seabird; Swanbourne, Perth. Specimens in BLC, MPC, NMPC, TMSHC, SAMA, WAMA, ZMHB.

Diagnosis. General diagnosis: length 9.2–11.1 mm; upperside greenish to brownish bronze; underside brownish to blackish bronze; anterior face of fore femora, tibia and tarsi usually green.

Head (Fig. 168): as in M. soror soror .

Antenna: as in M. soror soror .

Pronotum: 1.40–1.52 × as wide at base as long in midline; remaining characters as in M. soror soror .

Scutellum: as in M. soror soror .

Elytra 2.41–2.66 × as long as wide at base; remaining characters as in M. soror soror but 1 st and 2 nd costae almost extending to basal margin, and 3 rd costa better defined.

Hypomeron: as in M. soror soror .

Prosternum: as in M. soror soror .

Mesanepisternum (Fig. 181): as in M. soror soror .

Central part of metaventrite, inner part of metacoxa, central part of abdominal ventrites as in M. soror soror .

Apical ventrite (Figs 145–146): lunate punctures coalescing near the lateral margin but not forming grooves; excision in ♂ broad, W shaped, with a narrow truncate flange at the centre, with moderately long, well developed, parallel lateral spines (Fig. 145); ♀ narrower, U-shaped, with a narrow flange for its entire width, the lateral spines well developed, parallel (Fig. 146).

Fore tibia: as in M. soror soror .

Mid tibia: as in M. soror soror .

Aedeagus (Figs 92–93): parameres strongly and abruptly constricted before the apical setae bearing part; apical setae bearing parts scarcely widened, less than half the total length of the parameres, apical half weakly chitinised, with numerous fairly long, slightly curved, spine-like setae, in addition to the usual long fine setae; median lobe truncate at the tip.

Ovipositor: not examined.

Comments. This subspecies appears to be restricted to the coastal areas of W. Australia, whereas the nominotypical subspecies is found in the more inland regions of W. Australia.

See key and comments under M. soror soror for differences from that subspecies.

Etymology. This subspecies is named for the more baseward extension of the 2 nd elytral costa in comparison to the nominotypical subspecies.

Bionomics. Adults collected from August to December, with most records in September, from Acacia spp. Larval hosts unknown.