Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Melobasis viridiceps   Saunders, 1876
subfamily  Buprestinae » tribe  Melobasini » subtribe  Melobasina
Melobasis  species group: nervosa
Melobasis viridiceps   Adult images
Melobasis viridiceps, PL1729, on Acacia uncifolia, SL, 14.4 × 5.2 mm Melobasis viridiceps, PL1705, male, on Acacia uncifolia, KI, 13.5 × 4.6 mm Melobasis viridiceps, PL1705, male, on Acacia uncifolia, KI, 13.5 × 4.6 mm Melobasis viridiceps, PL1702, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI Melobasis viridiceps, PL1702, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI Melobasis viridiceps, PL1705, male, from Acacia uncifolia, KI, 13.5 × 4.6 mm Melobasis viridiceps, PL1702, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI Melobasis viridiceps, PL1708, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI, 15.9 × 5.4 mm Melobasis viridiceps, PL1708, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI, 15.9 × 5.4 mm Melobasis viridiceps, PL1708, female, on Acacia uncifolia, KI, 15.9 × 5.4 mm Melobasis viridiceps, DAY55, female, from Acacia uncifolia, KI, 14.3 × 5.1 mm Melobasis viridiceps, DAY56, male, from Acacia uncifolia, KI, 13.0 × 4.6 mm
Actual
size¹:
14.2 mm
×
5.0 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L113.2
13 – 13.45
 n = 214.9
14.3 – 15.9
 n = 3
W4.6
4.6 – 4.6
 n = 25.2
5.1 – 5.4
 n = 3
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 viridiceps  Distinctive features

Generally dark bronze in colour, quite shiny and often with some greenish, purplish or coppery hues. Males have greenish heads, and a very distinctive 'trilobed' aedeagus.

Notes

In SA this species has been mainly collected from Acacia species in coastal vegetation of the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  SL,  KI
Australian States:  SA,  VIC,  NSW
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 viridiceps  (total actual records: 12 beetles)
1 2
3
5 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 (median)
actual count <= 2 (median)
Adult host plants
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Acacia uncifolia63SL, KIF
Acacia pycnantha11SLF
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 7 100% 2
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on flowering plant52
on foliage or non-flowering plant11
on plant (unspecified)11
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.