Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Melobasis pyritosa   (Hope 1846)
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Melobasini » subtribe  Melobasina
Melobasis  species group: pretiosa
Melobasis pyritosa   Adult images
Melobasis pyritosa, PL2624, male, on Leptospermum coriaceum, EP, 10.4 × 3.8 mm Melobasis pyritosa, PL2624, male, on Leptospermum coriaceum, EP, 10.4 × 3.8 mm Melobasis pyritosa, PL2624, male, on Leptospermum coriaceum, EP, 10.4 × 3.8 mm Melobasis pyritosa, PL2624, male, from Leptospermum coriaceum, EP, 10.4 × 3.8 mm Melobasis pyritosa, PL2624, male, on Leptospermum coriaceum, EP, 10.4 × 3.8 mm
Actual
size¹:
10.5 mm
×
3.8 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L110.4
 n = 110.5
 n = 1
L210.1
 n = 110.2
 n = 1
W3.8
 n = 13.9
 n = 1
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
Melobasis pyritosa  Distinctive features

Distinguished by the fiery red background colour of the elytra and coppery sides of the pronotum.

Notes

This species has long been regarded as a synonym of Melobasis sexplagiata (Laporte & Gory, 1837) following Carter 1923b. Initially on these pages (June 2020) it was included under that name, but B. Levey (pers. comm., July 2020) subsequently identified it as M. pyritosa based on the images of PL2624.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EP,  SE
Australian States:  WA,  VIC
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 pyritosa  (total of 4 beetles)
1 2
1
Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Legend
live emerged adults, count > median value of 1 per quarter month
live emerged adults, count <= median value of 1
live non-emerged adults only, for that quarter month
12
number of active beetles for that quarter month
Adult host plant
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Leptospermum coriaceum33EP, SEM
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
M Myrtaceae 3 100% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flowering plant33
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.