Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Melobasis occidentalis   Carter, 1923
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Melobasini » subtribe  Melobasina
Melobasis  species group: obscurella
Melobasis occidentalis   Adult images (last updated: 29 Jun 2024)
Melobasis occidentalis, PL0136, female, on Acacia pycnanatha, SL, Stonyfell, Bell Yett Reserve, 26 Aug 2007, 8.3 × 3.1 mm Melobasis occidentalis, PL1700D, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI, 4.5 km NNW Point Tinline, Cape Gantheaume CP, 17 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, PL1700D, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI, 4.5 km NNW Point Tinline, Cape Gantheaume CP, 17 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, PL0136, female, from flowering Acacia pycnantha, SL, Stonyfell, Bell Yett Reserve, 26 Aug 2007, 8.3 × 3.1 mm Melobasis occidentalis, PL1732A, male, on Acacia uncifolia, SL, 2.9 km WNW Newland Head, Newland Head CP, 29 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, PL1653C, male, on Acacia uncifolia, KI, 0.1 km ESE Rocky River visitor centre, Flinders Chase NP, 15 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, DAY19, male, from Acacia uncifolia, KI, 0.5 km ESE Little Sahara car park, 4 Oct 2007, 7.5 × 2.8 mm Melobasis occidentalis, PL1732B, on Acacia uncifolia, SL, 2.9 km WNW Newland Head, Newland Head CP, 29 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, PL1732B, on Acacia uncifolia, SL, 2.9 km WNW Newland Head, Newland Head CP, 29 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, PL1732B, on Acacia uncifolia, SL, 2.9 km WNW Newland Head, Newland Head CP, 29 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, PL1732A, male, on Acacia uncifolia Melobasis occidentalis, PL1732A, male, on Acacia uncifolia, SL, 2.9 km WNW Newland Head, Newland Head CP, 29 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, PL1732A, male, on Acacia uncifolia, SL, 2.9 km WNW Newland Head, Newland Head CP, 29 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, PL1163, male, from Acacia uncifolia, SL, 2.9 km WNW Newland Head, Newland Head CP, 22 Dec 2009, 7.6 × 2.6 mm Melobasis occidentalis, PL1653A, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI, 0.1 km ESE Rocky River visitor centre, Flinders Chase NP, 15 Dec 2010 Melobasis occidentalis, PL0136, female, on Acacia pycnanatha, SL, Stonyfell, Bell Yett Reserve, 26 Aug 2007, 8.3 × 3.1 mm
Actual
size¹:
8.0 mm
×
2.8 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L17.5
6.85 – 8.15
 n = 128.7
7.55 – 9.8
 n = 8
L27.3
6.7 – 8.05
 n = 78.4
7.4 – 9.55
 n = 5
W2.7
2.4 – 3.05
 n = 123.1
2.7 – 3.4
 n = 8
Legend  L1length from clypeus/frons to elytral apex (mean, range, sample size)
L2length from anterior of edge of eyes to elytral apex
Wmaximum width with elytra fully closed
Notes

A species extending from Western Australia and which reaches is eastern limit in SA. More common in coastal areas and on southern Kangaroo Island.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EP,  YP,  SL,  KI,  SE
Australian States:  WA,  SA
Southern South Australian occurrences
LegendP.J.Lang collection vouchered records
other private collection or museum specimens, or sightings
Satellite map
Terrain map
Enlarge map
Adult activity records for Melobasis occidentalis  (total actual records: 80 beetles)
2
2 2 2 1
15 4 5 10
1 8 1 4
2 8 11 2
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
9
number of active beetles, actually recorded in that quarter-month
actual count > 2 (median)
actual count <= 2 (median)
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Acacia uncifolia265SL, KIF
Acacia sp.177EP, SL, KIF
Acacia pycnantha104SL, KIF
Acacia provincialis42KIF
Acacia longifolia ssp. sophorae32SL, SEF
Acacia paradoxa32SL, KIF
Callitris gracilis31KIC
Acacia leiophylla21KIF
Acacia euthycarpa11SLF
Acacia myrtifolia11SLF
Acacia triquetra11KIF
Choretrum glomeratum11KIS1
Hakea cycloptera11EPP
Leucopogon parviflorus11KIE
Leucopogon sp.11YPE
Melaleuca lanceolata11KIM
Melaleuca sp.11YPM
Myoporum insulare11SLS2
Typha sp.11SLT
Legendbeetlescount of beetles collected from, or sighted on, host plant taxon
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
Plant names in green are hyperlinked to a matching host species page with plant photos.
Plant family
Code beetles % host plant taxa
F Fabaceae 68 86% 9
C Cupressaceae 3 4% 1
E Ericaceae 2 3% 1
M Myrtaceae 2 3% 1
P Proteaceae 1 1% 1
S1 Santalaceae 1 1% 1
S2 Scrophulariaceae 1 1% 1
T Typhaceae 1 1% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flower(s)73
on flowering plant2410
on foliage or non-flowering plant249
on plant (unspecified)2411
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
red11SL
Larval host plant
records sites SA regions¹ family adult dead
*Acacia notabilis11SLF1
Legendrecordscount of breeding adults, pupae and larvae
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
*indicates alien (non-native) plant occurrences, either wild or planted (the species may be alien in SA, or native in parts of its SA range)
adultlive = extracted alive;   dead = extracted dead as intact or fragmentary remains;   ex billet = reared and emerged from stored sections of host;   ex pupa = reared from sampled pupa
pupaextracted pupa;   pupa ex larva = reared pupa from larva
larvaextracted larva (any stage including prepupa)
gall (only)hatched or unhatched gall identified by form and position rather than contents
Plant names in green are hyperlinked to a matching host species page with plant photos.
Plant family
Code records % host plant taxa
F Fabaceae 1 100% 1
Position in larval host
positionrecordssitesadult dead
dead stem111
Host plant notes

I extracted the remains of a dead adult (PL3023) from a dead branch on a senescent cultivated shrub of Notable Wattle Acacia notabilis at Urrbrae.

¹ LegendregionsSA State Herbarium regions (map)
EA: Eastern, EP: Eyre Peninsula, FR: Flinders Ranges, GT: Gairdner-Torrens, KI: Kangaroo Island, LE: Lake Eyre, MU: Murray, NL: Northern Lofty, NU: Nullarbor, NW: North-Western, SE: South-Eastern, SL: Southern Lofty, YP: Yorke Peninsula
sizeThe ellipse is the correct size when printed, indicative on a desktop screen, and likely to be wrong on a mobile device.