BuprestidaeMore Buprestidae Buprestidae Index Jewel Beetles Astraeus Bubastes pilbarensis Calodema plebeia Calotemognatha Castiarina Cyrioides Diadoxus Hypocisseis suturalis Diphucrania Julodimorpha saundersii Melobasis Merimna atrata Metaxymorpha grayii Metaxymorpha gloriosa Stigmodera Temognatha Torresita cuprifera
Melobasis is a genus of beetles in the family Buprestidae, that have 131 described species.
Check out the following selection of Melobasis beetles.
- Melobasis andersoni
- Melobasis burnsi and Melobasis amoena
- Melobasis cuprifera
- Melobasis gratiosissima
- Melobasis purpurascens

The following photo compiled from a stack of 30 photos taken using a Canon 7D and Canon 100mm macro lens controlled by DSLR Remote Pro for Mac and combined using Helicon Focus on an iMac.

Melobasis andersoni

Melobasis burnsi and Melobasis amoena
The following two Melobasis species were from north of Kalgoorlie on thin leaf Acacia.

Melobasis cuprifera

Melobasis gratiosissima
Melobasis gratiosissima (female) Found across Australia on fine leaf Acacias in summer. They are quite small.. maybe 7 mm.


Melobasis purpurascens



- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Coleoptera
- Suborder: Polyphaga
- Superfamily: Buprestoidea
- Family: Buprestidae
- Subfamily: Buprestinae
- Tribe: Melobasini
- Subtribe: Melobasina
- Genus: Melobasis
- Species:
- Melobasis amoena
- Melobasis andersoni
- Melobasis burnsi
- Melobasis cuprifera
- Melobasis gratiosissima
- Melobasis purpurascens
Atlas of Living Australia have listed 131 species (as of 22 December 2023)
Footnote & References
- Photograph, Melobasis sp © Marc Newman
- Photograph stack, Melobasis sp © Michael Jefferies
- Photographs, Melobasis andersoni, Melobasis gratiosissima © Mark Hanlon
- Melobasis cuprifera © Donna Juanita
- Photograph Melobasis burnsi & Melobasis amoena © Mark Hanlon
- Photographs Melobasis purpurascens © Tony Eales
- Photograph, Melobasis burnsi / Melobasis amoena © Mark Hanlon
- Melobasis purpurascens
- Melobasis Laporte & Gory, 1837, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Melobasis
- Buprestidae of South Australia (Jewel beetles), by Peter J. Lang, https://syzygium.xyz/buprestidae/taxonomy.php?order=alphabetical
BuprestidaeMore Buprestidae Buprestidae Index Jewel Beetles Astraeus Bubastes pilbarensis Calodema plebeia Calotemognatha Castiarina Cyrioides Diadoxus Hypocisseis suturalis Diphucrania Julodimorpha saundersii Melobasis Merimna atrata Metaxymorpha grayii Metaxymorpha gloriosa Stigmodera Temognatha Torresita cuprifera
ColeopteraColeoptera Index Amarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Aporocera speciosa Atractocerus crassicornis Blackburnium cavicolle Buprestidae Carphurus Cerambycidae Chalcopteroides (Chalcopterus Beetle) Christmas Beetles Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles) Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Hydrophilus Ladybirds (Beetles) Lepidiota Lucanidae Lycidae Mordellidae (Pintail Beetles) Neospades sp Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsisterna sp Phorticosomus sp Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhinotia haemoptera Rhipiceridae Scarabaeidae Tenebrionidae Xylophilostenus octophyllus
InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub