Melobasis pusilla, Carter Id, 1928

Levey, Brian, 2012, 3464, Zootaxa 3464, pp. 1-107 : 17

The pusilla species-group

This group contains five rarely collected species from W. Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. The group is characterised in having the tarsal claws with well defined basal tooth or the claws being broadly appendiculate in the basal half ( Fig. 20). This character appears to be a synapomorphy of the group. In addition the following combination of characters is found in all species of the group, except where noted: excision of apical sternite has a straight flange in both sexes; mesoepisternum strongly microreticulate with few, or many ( M. inflammabilis Thomson ) small punctures; broadly rounded or obtuse frontoclypeal peaks; mid tibia in both sexes straight without teeth or a setae-filled depression on the ventral face; aedeagus with parameres strongly widened from the base with fine setae only, the median lobe with an acute but not prolonged tip; ovipositor short and broad ( Fig. 157); apical sternite with coalescent punctures forming grooves (except in M. inflammabilis ). Adults of three species have been collected on Acacia spp. , and one species from Santalum acuminatum (R. Br.) A. DC. Larval hosts are unknown.