Known for SA by a SA Museum specimen (SAMA 25-036647) which is the Holotype of the synonym Melobasis puncticollis Blackbburn 1887, with both its type status and current ID determined by B. Levey in 1974. This specimen bears an old label 'S. Australia', but Blackburn 1887 in the protologue states: 'There is a single specimen in the South Australian Museum, but no record exists of its capture'.

Under the synonym M. puncticollis, Levey 2012 cites this specimen and lists the type locality as 'Unknown'. However, under M. gloriosa cruentata he also lists a specimen as 'Adelaide (doubtful locality)' without details of its repository. This raises the possibility that a second SA specimen with this more specific location may exist elsewhere, although for early collections, even 'Adelaide' may be unreliable in designating the actual collecting locality. It is best therefore to treat M. gloriosa cruentata as a questionable taxon for SA, unless it is rediscovered or the existing record(s) can be verified.