Liparetrus

Liparetrus sp., copyright Fir0002.

Belongs within: Melolonthinae.

Liparetrus is a diverse genus of chafers endemic to Australia; the genus' diversity makes it difficult to define categorically, but species are small and robust with short elytra and/or a pale, transparent posterior margin to the rear coxae. The transparent coxal margin is absent in members of the L. atratus, L. dixoni and L. laetus species groups (Britton 1980).

Characters (from Britton 1980): Small (length 3–14 mm), of stout build; elytra usually short, so that propygidium is largely exposed; eye usually truncate posteriorly and so almost semicircular in outline; posterior coxae usually with pale transparent posterior margins; proximal (second) tooth on outer edge of anterior tibia, when present, not closely applied to base of tibia; labrum not fused to clypeus; claws without pulvilli; propygidium and penultimate ventrite usually fused into a continuous ring, without trace of a longitudinal suture which normally separates the two on each side; antennae usually 9-segmented, rarely 7- or 8-segmented; antenna1 club always 3-lamellate.

<==Liparetrus Guérin-Méneville 1831 [incl. Liparetra Hope 1837] HW92
    |  i. s.: L. lottinii M86
    |--L. nudipennis group B80
    |    |--L. nudipennis Germar 1848 HW92
    |    `--L. squamipennis Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. squamiger group B80
    |    |--L. bellarus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. imbricatus Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. squamiger Macleay 1886 HW92
    |--L. sericeus group B80
    |    |--L. collessi Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. picipennis Germar 1848 B80 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--L. sericeus Macleay 1871 [incl. L. latiusculus Macleay 1886] HW92
    |    `--L. triangulatus Britton 1959 B80
    |--L. erythropterus group B80
    |    |--L. dispar Blackburn 1888 B80
    |    |--L. ebeninus Macleay 1886 B80
    |    |--L. erythropterus Blanchard 1850 HW92
    |    `--L. puer Blackburn 1905 B80 [incl. L. longipilis Lea 1924 HW92]
    |--L. convexior group B80
    |    |--L. adelus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. argenteus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. carnei Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. convexior Macleay 1886 [incl. L. caviceps Blackburn 1888] HW92
    |    |--L. newmani Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. pallidus Macleay 1871 B80
    |--L. dixoni group B80
    |    |--L. armstrongi Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. dixoni Britton 1980 HW92
    |    |--L. jubatus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. rotundipennis Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. simplex Blackburn 1888 HW92]
    |    |--L. sericeipennis Macleay 1886 B80
    |    `--L. wilsoni Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. alienus group B80
    |    |--L. alienus Blackburn 1905 HW92
    |    |--L. diversus Blackburn 1888 B80
    |    |--L. limbatus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. opacus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. pauxillus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. pusillus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. suavis Blackburn 1889 B80
    |    `--L. vicinus Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. discoidalis group B80
    |    |--L. bakeri Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. bimaculatus Lea 1917 B80
    |    |--L. discoidalis Macleay 1864 HW92
    |    |--L. hattanus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. orestes Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. reburrus Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. ulingus Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. ferrugineus group B80
    |    |--L. confusus Blackburn 1912 B80
    |    |--L. convexus Boisduval 1835 B80 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--L. curtulus Burmeister 1855 B80 [incl. L. brunneipennis Blackburn 1892 HW92, L. ubiquitosus Macleay 1886 HW92]
    |    |--L. erythropygus Blanchard 1850 B80, HW92
    |    |--L. ferrugineus Blanchard 1850 HW92
    |    |--L. mimicus Lea 1917 B80
    |    `--L. teres Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. laetus group B80
    |    |--L. albipennis Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. cribripennis Lea 1924 B80
    |    |--L. geminatus Lea 1924 B80
    |    |--L. laetus Blackburn 1888 [incl. L. basicollis Lea 1917] HW92
    |    |--L. longidens Lea 1917 B80
    |    |--L. modestus Blackburn 1888 B80
    |    `--L. stygius Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. discipennis group B80
    |    |--*L. discipennis Guérin-Méneville 1831 HW92 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--L. aethiops Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. albohirtus Masters 1886 B80 [=L. basalis Macleay 1864 non Blanchard 1850 HW92]
    |    |--L. gravidus Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. squamosus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. rotundicollis Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. trichopygus Lea 1917 B80
    |    `--L. ventralis Blackburn 1905 B80
    |--L. atratus group B80
    |    |--L. amabilis Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. asper Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. spretus Blackburn 1892 HW92]
    |    |--L. atratus Burmeister 1855 (see below for synonymy) HW92
    |    |--L. hirpex Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. mixtus Lea 1919 B80
    |    |--L. monartus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. subsquamosus Macleay 1886 B80
    |    |--L. tristis Blanchard 1850 B80, HW92
    |    `--L. uniformis Blanchard 1850 B80, HW92
    |--L. luridipennis group B80
    |    |--L. carnabyi Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. cribriceps Lea 1924 B80
    |    |--L. flavipennis Lea 1917 B80
    |    |--L. glabripennis Macleay 1886 B80
    |    |--L. lepidopygus Lea 1917 B80 [incl. L. trichosternus Lea 1917 HW92]
    |    |--L. lissapterus Lea 1917 B80
    |    |--L. luridipennis Macleay 1886 HW92
    |    |--L. necessarius Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. trivialis Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. vestitus Blanchard 1846 B80, HW92
    |         |--L. v. vestitus [incl. L. nigroumbratus Blackburn 1888, L. pruinosus Burmeister 1855] HW92
    |         `--L. v. sedani Blackburn 1888 HW92
    |--L. monticolus group B80
    |    |--L. atomus Britton 1959 B80
    |    |--L. flavopictus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. gilvus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. glaber Macleay 1871 B80 [=L. laevatus Macleay 1886 HW92; incl. L. parvulus Macleay 1871 HW92]
    |    |--L. luridus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. micros Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. minor Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. monticolus (Fabricius 1775) (see below for synonymy) HW92
    |    |--L. ‘pygmaeus’ Britton 1980 non Burmeister 1855 B80
    |    `--L. unidentatus Lea 1917 B80
    |--L. capillatus group B80
    |    |--L. amplus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. angulatus Macleay 1886 B80
    |    |--L. capillatus Macleay 1886 HW92
    |    |--L. cognatus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. laevis Blanchard 1850 B80, HW92 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--L. rothei Blackburn 1888 B80
    |    |--L. rotundiformis Macleay 1886 B80
    |    |--L. rubicundus Macleay 1864 B80 [incl. L. irregularis Lea 1917 HW92, L. propinquus Macleay 1886 HW92]
    |    |--L. rugatus Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. seclusus Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. tridentatus Macleay 1871 B80 [incl. L. acutidens Macleay 1886 HW92]
    |--L. striatus group B80
    |    |--L. brevipes Blackburn 1905 B80 [incl. L. leai Blackburn 1905 HW92]
    |    |--L. incertus Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. insularis Blackburn 1888 B80
    |    |--L. jenkinsi Britton 1959 B80
    |    |--L. lividipennis Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. merredinensis Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. mulurus Britton 1959 B80
    |    |--L. obscurior Lea 1917 B80
    |    |--L. plautus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. striatus Blanchard 1850 (see below for synonymy) HW92
    |    |--L. sylvicola (Fabricius 1775) B80 (see below for synonymy)
    |    `--L. tibialis Lea 1924 B80
    |--L. fulvohirtus group B80
    |    |--L. albosetosus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. andersoni Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. ater Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. nitidipennis Macleay 1886 HW92]
    |    |--L. fulvohirtus Macleay 1871 (see below for synonymy) HW92
    |    |--L. karallus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. kennedyi Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. majorinus Lea 1919 HW92]
    |    |--L. niger Lea 1917 B80
    |    |--L. pandus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. phoenicopterus Germar 1848 B80
    |    |--L. urbulus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. vastus Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. wanamarus Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. concolor group B80
    |    |--L. analis Blackburn 1888 B80
    |    |--L. collaris Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. maurus Blackburn 1892 HW92]
    |    |--L. concolor Erichson 1842 HW92
    |    |--L. consanguineus Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. fimbriatus Blackburn 1888 B80
    |    |--L. karinus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. kreuslerae Macleay 1886 B80
    |    |--L. lugens Blackburn 1892 B80 [incl. L. tarsalis Lea 1924 HW92]
    |    |--L. ovipennis Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. pectinatus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. rubefactus Macleay 1886 B80
    |    `--L. septuosus Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. marginipennis group B80
    |    |--L. criniger Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. perplexus Blackburn 1888 HW92]
    |    |--L. flavicornis Lea 1917 B80
    |    |--L. germari Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. insignis Lea 1917 HW92, L. mastersi Macleay 1886 HW92]
    |    |--L. insolitus Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. marginipennis Blanchard 1850 HW92 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--L. nigrinus Germar 1848 B80 [incl. L. rugosus Macleay 1886 HW92]
    |    |--L. paryphus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. pimbus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. trichotus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. umbrosus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. villosus Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. xanthotrichus Blanchard 1850 B80, HW92
    |--L. flavus group B80
    |    |--L. arenosus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. aridus Blackburn 1895 B80
    |    |--L. ascius Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. assitus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. cerinus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. cinnameus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. flavidus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. flavus Lea 1917 HW92
    |    |--L. furfurosus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. luteus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. medius Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. pallidulus (Macleay 1888) B80 [=Scitala pallidula HW92; incl. L. bilobus Lea 1924 HW92]
    |    |--L. paulus Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. pulvereus Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. lanaticollis group B80
    |    |--L. cantrelli Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. castaneus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. cinctipennis Blackburn 1905 B80
    |    |--L. commoni Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. demarzi Britton 1959 B80
    |    |--L. halei Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. lanaticollis Macleay 1888 [incl. L. albovillosus Lea 1917] HW92
    |    |--L. minimus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. minusculus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. minutus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. obesus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. occidentalis Macleay 1886 B80
    |    |--L. pallens Lea 1917 B80
    |    |--L. palmerstoni Blackburn 1888 B80
    |    |--L. pholiotus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. semiflavus Lea 1917 B80
    |    |--L. simulator Lea 1926 B80
    |    |--L. tanami Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. tatakus Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. uptoni Britton 1980 B80
    |--L. gracilipes group B80
    |    |--L. abnormalis Macleay 1886 B80
    |    |--L. atrox Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. aulax Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. comes Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. convexiusculus Macleay 1883 B80 [incl. L. acutangulus Lea 1919 HW92]
    |    |--L. finitimus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. fumosus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. gracilipes Blackburn 1888 [incl. L. tuberculatus Lea 1895] HW92
    |    |--L. ithonus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. kungarus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. laeticulus Blackburn 1889 B80
    |    |--L. mimus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. nigrifrons Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. obscurus Blanchard 1846 HW92 (see below for synonymy)
    |    |--L. parvus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. robustus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. satanus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. simillimus Macleay 1886 B80
    |    |--L. tenebrosus Britton 1980 B80
    |    |--L. tulanus Britton 1980 B80
    |    `--L. vespertinus Britton 1980 B80
    `--L. rufipennis group B80
         |--L. atriceps Macleay 1864 B80 [incl. L. fallax Blackburn 1888 HW92, L. micans Macleay 1886 HW92]
         |--L. badius Macleay 1888 B80
         |--L. bituberculatus Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. melaleucae Lea 1917 HW92, L. piliceps Lea 1924 HW92]
         |--L. carpentariae Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. compositus Lea 1917 B80
         |--L. crassus Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. distans Blackburn 1905 B80
         |--L. distinctus Blackburn 1895 B80
         |--L. glauerti Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. globulus Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. mysticus Blackburn 1889 HW92]
         |--L. hilli Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. impressicollis Macleay 1886 B80
         |--L. kiatanus Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. laciniatus Lea 1917 B80
         |--L. malara Britton 1959 B80
         |--L. melallus Britton 1959 B80
         |--L. melanocephalus Blackburn 1895 B80
         |--L. merus Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. nigricollis (Hope 1842) B80 [=Liparetra nigricollis HW92]
         |--L. nudus Lea 1917 B80
         |--L. opacicollis Macleay 1886 B80 [incl. L. clypealis Lea 1924 HW92]
         |--L. orsinus Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. periosus Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. perkinsi Blackburn 1905 B80
         |--L. pezus Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. politus Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. posticalis Blackburn 1888 B80
         |--L. quinquelobatus Lea 1919 B80
         |--L. rubrus Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. rufipennis Macleay 1864 HW92
         |--L. semiatriceps Lea 1917 B80
         |--L. semicastaneus Lea 1917 B80 [incl. L. apicalis Lea 1917 HW92]
         |--L. validus Britton 1980 B80
         |--L. vestjensi Britton 1980 B80
         `--L. waningus Britton 1980 B80

Liparetrus atratus Burmeister 1855 [incl. L. intermedius Lea 1919, L. obtusidens Macleay 1886, L. orthodoxus Lea 1924, L. parvidens Macleay 1886] HW92

Liparetrus convexus Boisduval 1835 B80 [incl. L. basalis Blanchard 1851 HW92, L. macleayi Blackburn 1888 HW92, L. salebrosus Macleay 1886 HW92, L. sylvicola Burmeister 1855 nec Melolontha sylvicola Fabricius 1775 nec L. sylvicola Blanchard 1853 HW92]

*Liparetrus discipennis Guérin-Méneville 1831 HW92 [=Omaloplia brachyptera B35; incl. L. assimilis Macleay 1886 HW92, L. canescens Macleay 1886 HW92, L. montanus Macleay 1886 HW92, L. puncticeps Lea 1917 HW92]

Liparetrus fulvohirtus Macleay 1871 [incl. L. adelaidae Blackburn 1892, L. comatus Macleay 1886, L. flavopilosus Macleay 1871, L. mitchelli Macleay 1886, L. pilosus Macleay 1871, L. rufiventris Macleay 1871, L. villosicollis Macleay 1886] HW92

Liparetrus laevis Blanchard 1850 B80, HW92 [incl. L. agrestis Blackburn 1888 HW92, L. nigriceps Macleay 1886 HW92, L. nigriclavus Lea 1917 HW92]

Liparetrus marginipennis Blanchard 1851 HW92 [=L. marginicollis (l. c.) B80; incl. L. callosus Macleay 1886 HW92, L. hirsutus Burmeister 1855 HW92, L. nigrohirtus Macleay 1886 HW92]

Liparetrus monticolus (Fabricius 1775) [=Melolontha monticola; incl. L. blanchardi Blackburn 1905, L. gagaticeps Macleay 1888] HW92

Liparetrus obscurus Blanchard 1846 HW92 [incl. L. carus Lea 1917 HW92, L. holosericeus Macleay 1886 HW92, L. iridipennis Germar 1848 B80, L. senex Blackburn 1888 HW92, L. sylvicola Blanchard 1853 non Melolontha sylvicola Fabricius 1775 HW92]

Liparetrus picipennis Germar 1848 B80 [incl. L. nitidior Macleay 1886 HW92, L. obscurus Macleay 1886 non Blanchard 1846 HW92]

Liparetrus striatus Blanchard 1850 [incl. L. glabratus Burmeister 1855, L. ovatus Macleay 1886, L. picipennis Macleay 1886 non Germar 1848] HW92

Liparetrus sylvicola (Fabricius 1775) B80 [=Melolontha sylvicola HW92, *Liparetra sylvicola HW92; incl. Liparetrus juvenis Blackburn 1888 HW92, Liparetrus vicarius Blackburn 1905 HW92]

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

[B35] Boisduval, J. B. 1835. Voyage de Découvertes de l’Astrolabe. Exécuté par ordre du Roi, pendant les années 1826–1827–1828–1829, sous le commandement de M. J. Dumont d'Urville. Faune entomologique de l'océan Pacifique, avec l'illustration des insectes nouveaux recueillis pendant le voyage vol. 2. Coléoptères et autres ordres. J. Tastu: Paris.

[B80] Britton, E. B. 1980. A revision of the Australian chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) vol. 3. Tribe Liparetrini: genus Liparetrus. Australian Journal of Zoology, Supplementary Series 76: 1–209.

[HW92] Houston, W. W. K., & T. A. Weir. 1992. Melolonthinae. In: Houston, W. W. K. (ed.) Zoological Catalogue of Australia vol. 9. Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea pp. 174–358. AGPS Press: Canberra.

[M86] Masters, G. 1886. Catalogue of the described Coleoptera of Australia. Part III. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, series 2, 1 (1): 21–126.

Last updated: 26 April 2021.