Buprestidae of South Australia
( Jewel beetles )
by Peter J. Lang
Meliboeithon confusum   Bellamy, 1988
subfamily  Agrilinae » tribe  Coraebini » subtribe  unplaced
Meliboeithon confusum   Adult images
Meliboeithon confusum, PL4139, male, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SE, 6.8 × 2.5 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL4139, male, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SE, 6.8 × 2.5 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL4139, male, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SE, 6.8 × 2.5 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL4139, male, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SE, 6.8 × 2.5 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL5771, male, EP, 5.8 × 2.1 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL4139, male, on Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana, SE, 6.8 × 2.5 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL5771, male, EP, 5.8 × 2.1 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL5771, male, EP, 5.8 × 2.1 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL4139, male, from Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana foliage, SE, 6.8 × 2.5 mm
Actual
size¹:
6.6 mm
×
2.4 mm
Measurements (mm)
malefemale
L16.4
5.75 – 6.75
 n = 37.2
 n = 1
L26.2
5.6 – 6.65
 n = 37.0
 n = 1
W2.3
2.1 – 2.45
 n = 32.5
 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
Meliboeithon confusum  Distinctive features

Cylindrical pronotum (lacks outwardly projecting basal corners and lateral constriction), differing from M. cylindricolle by its distinctly convex eyes, longer groove on the front of the head, hairs on dorsal side shorter and more evenly distributed, and often greater body length.

Notes

The collection made on 27 January 2018 and illustrated here (PL4139) appears to be the first reported record of this species in SA. Subsequent examination of SA Museum Meliboeithon specimens revealed an early collection by Blackburn from Port Lincoln which, although longer than usual, is probably this species also.

Distribution
SA Regions¹:  EP,  SE
Australian States:  WA,  SA,  QLD?
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 Meliboeithon confusum  (total actual records: 3 beetles)
2 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 > 1.5 (mean)
actual count <= 1.5 (mean)
Adult host plant
beetles sites SA regions¹ family position on host plant
Allocasuarina muelleriana ssp. muelleriana21SEC
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
C Casuarinaceae 2 100% 1
Position on adult host
positionbeetlessites
on foliage or non-flowering plant21
Lure affinity
colour beetles sites SA regions¹
bright green11SE
Meliboeithon confusum Breeding record images
Meliboeithon confusum, PL5814A, larva, in Lepidosperma hispidulum culm, SE, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 12.8 × 2.6 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL5814B, larva, in Lepidosperma hispidulum culm, SE, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski, 13.6 × 2.6 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL5814A, larva, from Lepidosperma hispidulum culm, dorsal view, SE, 12.8 × 2.6 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL5814A, larva, from Lepidosperma hispidulum culm, dorsal & ventral views, SE, 12.8 × 2.6 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL5814A, larva, from Lepidosperma hispidulum culm, dorsal view, SE, 12.8 × 2.6 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL5814A, larva, from Lepidosperma hispidulum culm, ventral view, SE, 12.8 × 2.6 mm Meliboeithon confusum, PL5814, larval host plant, Lepidosperma hispidulum, SE, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski Meliboeithon confusum, PL5814, larval host plant, Lepidosperma hispidulum, showing position of exit hole (arrowed), SE, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski Meliboeithon confusum, PL5814, larval host plant, Lepidosperma hispidulum, showing position of exit hole (arrowed), SE, photo by A.M.P. Stolarski
Larval host plant
records sites SA regions¹ family larva
Lepidosperma hispidulum21SEC2
Legendrecordscount of breeding adults, pupae and larvae
sitescount of major sites (unique 10 km grid cells +/- some distinct approximate localities)
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
C Cyperaceae 2 100% 1
Position in larval host
positionrecordssiteslarva
culm212
Host plant notes

Two Agrilinae larvae found in culms of Dune Sword-sedge Lepidosperma hispidulum by A.M.P. Stolarski on 15 May 2023 were identified as Meliboeithon confusum in May 2024 based on the DNA barcode (mitochondrial CO1 sequence) obtained for one larva matching that of an adult. This is a new larval host plant species, and the first reported breeding record for M. confusum.

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.