Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Melobasis sp. Golden reflections  
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Melobasini » subtribe  Melobasina
Melobasis  species group: pretiosa
Melobasis sp. Golden reflections   Adult images
Melobasis sp. Golden reflections, from Eucalyptus sp., on dead trunk, KI, photo by R.V. Glatz Melobasis sp. Golden reflections, from Eucalyptus sp., on dead trunk, KI, photo by R.V. Glatz Melobasis sp. Golden reflections, from Eucalyptus sp., on dead trunk, KI, photo by R.V. Glatz Melobasis sp. Golden reflections, MAH 08574, KI, photo by Mark Hura
Melobasis sp. Golden reflections  Distinctive features

Female mostly purplish with a trace of green above and below, and very limited gold reflections on humeral margin of elytra. Male multi-coloured above and bright green below; coppery to gold reflections on sides of pronotum and in the humeral depressions and median part of elytra.

Notes

This species has been assigned a phrase name as it has not yet been identified, but appears to be related to M. sexplagiata (M. pretiosa group).

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  KI+?
Australian States:  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 sp. Golden reflections  (total actual records: 4 beetles)
3 1
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 (mean)
actual count <= 2 (mean)
Adult host plant
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Eucalyptus sp.31KIM
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 family
Code beetles % host plant taxa
M Myrtaceae 3 100% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
other
  on dead trunk31
Host plant notes

Observed by R.V. Glatz visiting several dead Eucalyptus trees over a period of several weeks, so it probably breeds in dead Eucalyptus wood.

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