Melittomma Murray, 1867

Lawrence, John F., 2020, The Australian Lymexylidae (Coleoptera: Tenerionoidea) with one new genus and two genera new to Australia, Zootaxa 4895 (2), pp. 211-238 : 218-219

Melittomma Murray, 1867

( Wheeler, 1986, figs 225–267)

Melittomma Murray, 1867: 314 .

Type species: Hylecoetus brasiliensis Laporte 1832 , by original designation.

Neohylecoetus Kurosawa, 1956: 80 . Type species: N. javanus Kurosawa, 1956: 81 (= Hylecoetus javanicus Chevrolat, 1829 ; Neohylecoetus philippensis Kurosawa, 1956 ). Kurosawa, 1985 (synonymy).

Diagnosis. According to Wheeler (1986), adults of the genus Melittomma may be distinguished from other members of the family by having large, often proximal eyes, palp organs in the male, entire or almost entire elyra, appendiculate paratergites on abdominal segment IX and small parameroids, while lacking setose pads on segment VIII in the male. Larvae may be distinguished by the presence of a heavily sclerotised abdominal apex terminating in a concavity lined by a deeply notched ridge. Adults of Australymexylon species differ in lacking palp organs and having setose pads on segment VIII in the male, while Alcestoma species lack the appendiculate paratergites on segment IX and have more elongate parameroids.

Note. The genus Melittomma currently contains about 20 species worldwide, but it is not clear if all of these species share the diagnostic features mentioned above. Wheeler (1986) moved M. insulare Fairmaire (1893) and M. curtipenne Pic (1939) to the genus Protomelittomma Wheeler (= Alcestoma Fairmaire ) and considered them to be synonymous, but some Melittomma types were not seen and some names were based on females only. This problem can only be addressed by those with access to the relevant types. The only true Melittomma occurring in Australia, based on male genital and pregenital features listed above, is M. pervagum , which is redescribed below.