Melobasis obscurella

3 Obscurella jewel beetle at Yarralumla, ACT

Melobasis obscurella at Yarralumla, ACT - 3 Sep 2020
Melobasis obscurella at Yarralumla, ACT - 3 Sep 2020
Melobasis obscurella at Yarralumla, ACT - 3 Sep 2020
Melobasis obscurella at Yarralumla, ACT - 3 Sep 2020
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Identification history

Melobasis obscurella 25 Feb 2021 Harrisi
Melobasis obscurella 25 Feb 2021 KimPullen
Melobasis obscurella 3 Jan 2021 Harrisi
Melobasis sp. (genus) 26 Dec 2020 CathB
Melobasis thoracica 4 Sep 2020 CathB

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Significant sighting

MichaelMulvaney noted:

1 Mar 2021

Ist electronic record of this species within our region

User's notes

Yesterday's wind made photographing difficult, but 2 very active beetles seen.

3 comments

Harrisi wrote:
   5 Sep 2020
well done Cath! a day earlier than last year. Definitely a Melobasis but I'm not sure it is a M. thoracica, Seems a lighter green than ones i have seen (which isn't that many) and the lateral articulation between pronotum and elytra looks straighter than M. thoracica. One for the experts!
Harrisi wrote:
   28 Sep 2020
Well ! Have now consulted a few experts with these images and those I took two days hence (probably same plant and beetles?). Further examination of pics reveals a reddish margin to the rear half of the elytra, laterally. Consensus now is that these beetles are Melobasis obscurella, an acacia specialist. Well done Cath, if confirmed, a new jewel beetle species for CNM ! :)
Harrisi wrote:
   28 Sep 2020
...further to the above, Peter Lang's excellent new 'Buprestidae of South Australia' (google it), records that M. obscurella emerges very early in that state, from the second half of August so being our first Buprestid record for this season (3SEP20) is not surprising or out of the ordinary.

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Location information

Sighting information

  • 2 Abundance
  • 3 Sep 2020 03:06 PM Recorded on
  • CathB Recorded by

Additional information

  • 5mm to 12mm Animal size

Species information

Record quality

  • Overall Fit for scientific/research use
  • Images or audio
  • More than one media file
  • Confirmed by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
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