Melobasis Laporte & Gory 1837

Levey, Brian, 2012, 3464, Zootaxa 3464, pp. 1-107 : 10-11

Genus Melobasis Laporte & Gory 1837

Buprestis (Melobasis) Laporte & Gory, 1837: 118 . Type species: Buprestis cupriceps Kirby 1818 (fixed by subsequent designation: Bellamy 1998).

Briseis Saunders 1871 , 44. syn. n.

Type species: Buprestis conica Laporte & Gory 1837 (fixed by monotypy).

Diceropygus Deyrolle 1864: 68 . syn. n.

Type species: Diceropygus scutellaris Deyrolle 1864 (fixed by subsequent designation: Bellamy 1998).

Montrouzieria Obenberger 1923: 17 . (Synonymised with Diceropygus Deyrolle, 1864 by Théry 1925).

Montrouzieretta Obenberger 1924 (replacement name for Montrouzieria Obenberger 1923 , superfluous name not preoccupied by Montrouziera Bigot 1860 ).

Montouzieretta Volkovitsh & Hawkeswood 1995 (misspelling).

Type species: Montrouzieria caledonica Obenberger 1923 (fixed by monotypy).

Paramelobasis Théry 1923, 58. syn. n.

Type species: Melobasis (Paramelobasis) austera Théry 1923 (fixed by monotypy).

Small to medium sized (length 4–21 mm), moderately flattened ovate to elongate cylindrical species, sometimes with structurally coloured elytral or pronotal markings but without pigmentary coloured markings.

Head: almost always with the antennal insertions facing downwards and enclosed above by lateral prolongations of the clypeus; very rarely the antennal insertions face forward and the clypeus is reduced. Vertex and clypeus in the same plane not separated from one another by a groove or carina, flat or weakly convex. Genae slightly depressed lateral to the antennal insertions, the depression accommodating the antennal scape when the antennae are flexed backwards. Antennae 11 segmented with segments 4–10 expanded, the expanded parts triangular or rectangular in shape; sensory pores mainly confined to segments 4–11; segments 4–11 with an apical sensory fovea which is usually elliptical or almost slit like, rarely semicircular. Eyes moderately sized, slightly convergent dorsally, but always separated by at least one-third of the width of the head across the eyes when viewed from above.

Pronotum: variable in shape, more or less densely punctured with simple round or elliptical punctures, without a sculpture of reticulate polygonal cells. Lateral carina variable in extent, but always present at least in the posterior third. Scutellum very variable in shape and size.

Elytra: fully developed. Apices and lateral margins in apical half at least weakly serrate, very rarely with enlarged spine-like teeth at the apex. Sutural margins usually raised in the apical half to two-thirds, with a more or less well defined subsutural depression. Elytral punctation very variable, from regularly punctate-striate to randomly punctured, in the latter case often with one or more costae present.

Underside: prosternal process flat or rarely slightly depressed at centre, with or without a groove or line of coalescent punctures along the lateral margin; apex tri-lobate with the median lobe narrow and triangular. Mesosternum completely divided by the median lobe of the prosternal process, the two halves of the mesosternum almost touching posteriorly. Metacoxal plate about twice as wide medially as laterally, the posterior and anterior margins weakly bisinuate, the former sometimes almost straight. Metepimeron partly concealed by the anterolateral prolongation of the first abdominal sternite. Apex of the most distal abdominal sternite usually with a well defined excision bordered by lateral spines and with a variably developed flange; very rarely the spines are obsolete and the flange lacks a free distal margin ( Figs. 7, 8, 198, 215).

Legs: mid tibia of male often curved and bearing serrations on the ventral face or with a setae-filled depression on the ventral face and then often swollen. Tarsal segments 1 – 4 with well developed ventral pulvilli occupying the apical third to half of the segment; first segment of metatarsus about one and half times as long as segment 2, segments 3 and 4 slightly shorter than 2; segment 5 dorso-ventrally flattened, club shaped; tarsal claws simple, often broadened at base, or rarely with a well developed posterior tooth

Metathoracic wing ( Fig. 5): radial cell large and elongate; fused medial-cubital vein slightly longer than medial recurrent; 1st anal vein incomplete, not united to 2dA1; anal cell closed, the distal spur about as long as cell; vein 3dA2 joined to anal cell; 4th anal vein present and well developed; radio-medial cross vein present, but fainter than the veins it connects, almost opposite the 1st radial cross vein; cubito-anal cross vein complete.

Male genitalia: With a more or less well developed ovate, cupulate basal piece; parameres symmetrical with long thin sensory setae and sometimes with stout rigid setae, at the apex.

Ovipositor: Membranous. Two major types of ovipositor are found in Melobasis . The most frequent type is the elongate tubular type ( Fig. 11), however, some species-groups have much shorter urite-like ovipositor ( Fig. 10, 156, 157).