Automolius

Automolius sp., copyright Jackie Miles.

Belongs within: Melolonthinae.

Automolius is an Australian genus of chafers in which the elytra are shortened, leaving at least part of the last two abdominal segments exposed.

Characters (from Britton 1957, as Automolus): Antennae seven-, eight- or nine-segmented, including a three-segmented club; elytra more or less shortened, not reaching pygidium, part or whole of propygidium exposed; abdomen without a longitudinal ridge on each side; tergite and ventrite of propygidium fused at sides; whole body clothed with rather regularly arranged semierect setae; female usually with a bare shining area on each elytron near apex on outer side; posterior tibia rather slender, moderately expanded to apex with a slight setose ridge on upper side.

<==Automolius Britton 1978 [=Automolus Burmeister 1855 non Reichenbach 1853] HW92
    |--*A. angustulus (Burmeister 1855) (see below for synonymy) HW92
    |--A. brooksi (Britton 1957) [=Automolus brooksi] HW92
    |--A. brunneus (Lea 1917) [=Automolus brunneus] HW92
    |--A. compactus (Blackburn 1898) [=Caulobius compactus] HW92
    |--A. cookii (Macleay 1886) [=Liparetrus cookii] HW92
    |--A. depressus (Blanchard 1850) (see below for synonymy) HW92
    |--A. evanescens (Blackburn 1898) [=Caulobius evanescens] HW92
    |--A. fulgineus (Britton 1957) [=Automolus fulgineus] HW92
    |--A. funereus (Blackburn 1906) [=Automolus funereus] HW92
    |--A. granulatus (Blackburn 1888) [=Liparetrus granulatus] HW92
    |--A. hispidus (Macleay 1886) [=Liparetrus hispidus; incl. L. aureus Blackburn 1888] HW92
    |--A. humilis (Blanchard 1850) (see below for synonymy) HW92
    |--A. immitis (Blackburn 1906) [=Caulobius immitis] HW92
    |--A. irrasus (Blackburn 1906) [=Automolus irrasus] HW92
    |--A. maechidioides (Macleay 1886) [=Liparetrus maechidioides] HW92
    |--A. major (Blackburn 1906) [=Automolus major] HW92
    |--A. nanus (Britton 1957) [=Automolus nanus] HW92
    |--A. opaculus (Blackburn 1906) [=Automolus opaculus] HW92
    |--A. ordinatus (Macleay 1886) [=Liparetrus ordinatus] HW92
    |--A. phoxus (Britton 1957) [=Automolus phoxus] HW92
    |--A. pictus (Blackburn 1906) [=Automolus pictus] HW92
    |--A. poverus (Blanchard 1850) [=Liparetrus poverus; incl. L. striatipennis Macleay 1886] HW92
    |--A. pygmaeus (Burmeister 1855) [=Liparetrus pygmaeus] HW92
    |--A. rotundus (Blackburn 1906) [=Caulobius rotundus] HW92
    |--A. semitifer (Blackburn 1906) [=Automolus semitifer] HW92
    |--A. sordidus (Britton 1957) [=Automolus sordidus] HW92
    |--A. sulcatus (Britton 1957) [=Automolus sulcatus] HW92
    |--A. tridentifrons (Lea 1917) [=Automolus tridentifrons] HW92
    |--A. valgoides (Blanchard 1850) [=Liparetrus valgoides] HW92
    `--A. vulgaris (Britton 1957) [=Automolus vulgaris] HW92

*Automolius angustulus (Burmeister 1855) [=*Automolus angustulus; incl. Liparetrus alpicola Blackburn 1892, L. burmeisteri Macleay 1886] HW92

Automolius depressus (Blanchard 1850) [=Liparetrus depressus; incl. L. bicolor Blackburn 1888, Automolus melancholicus Lea 1917] HW92

Automolius humilis (Blanchard 1850) [=Liparetrus humilis; incl. L. concolor Macleay 1864 non Erichson 1842, Automolus propygidialis Lea 1917, L. unicolor Masters 1871] HW92

*Type species of generic name indicated

REFERENCES

Britton, E. B. 1957. A Revision of the Australian Chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae) vol. 1. British Museum (Natural History): London.

[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.