Maechidius

Maechidius sp., from Morwell National Park Online.

Belongs within: Melolonthinae.

Maechidius is an Australasian genus of chafers, at least some of which live in association with termite nests.

Characters (from Britton 1957): Two teeth on outer edge of anterior tibia, the basal tooth usually on distal half of tibia, obtuse, not acute and closely applied to the edge; anterior edge of pronotal hypomera produced forwards to form a blade-like free edge enclosing a pocket into which antenna can be withdrawn; edge obtusely angulate when viewed from side; claws with or without pulvilli; antennae seven-, eight- or nine-segmented including a three-segmented club; disc of pronotum and elytra often with characteristic annular setiferous punctures; body form depressed; abdomen with a strong longitudinal ridge on each side; tergite and sternite of propygidium at least partly fused; colour reddish brown to black.

<==Maechidius Macleay 1819 [incl. Geobatus Boisduval 1835] HW92
    |--*M. spurius (Kirby 1818) HW92 (see below for synonymy)
    |--M. algonus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. amanus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. antennalis Blackburn 1898 HW92
    |--M. ater Waterhouse 1875 HW92
    |--M. atratus Burmeister 1855 HW92
    |--M. bidentulus Fairm. 1877 M86
    |--M. brevis Waterhouse 1875 HW92
    |--M. caesius Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. calabyi Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. capitalis Blackburn 1907 HW92
    |--M. caviceps Blackburn 1888 HW92
    |--M. cavus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. chadwicki Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. charaxus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. clypealis Blackburn 1894 HW92
    |--M. coelus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. conspicuus Lea 1917 HW92
    |--M. corrosus Waterhouse 1875 [incl. M. sculptipennis Lea 1917, M. sexdentatus Waterhouse 1875] HW92
    |--M. crassifrons Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. crenaticollis Blackkburn 1888 [incl. M. collaris Blackburn 1898] HW92
    |--M. davidsoni Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. emarginatus Waterhouse 1875 HW92
    |--M. eutermiphilus Lea 1924 HW92
    |--M. excisicollis Blackburn 1898 HW92
    |--M. excisus Waterhouse 1875 HW92
    |--M. fissiceps Macleay 1888 HW92
    |--M. froggatti Macleay 1888 HW92
    |--M. geminus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. gibbicollis Blackburn 1898 HW92
    |--M. hackeri Lea 1919 HW92
    |--M. hopianus Westwood 1842 [=M. hopeanus (l. c.); incl. M. obscurus Macleay 1871] HW92
    |--M. hoplocephalus Lea 1917 HW92
    |--M. insularis Lea 1917 HW92
    |--M. kanallus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. kiwanus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. konandus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. kurantus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. lateripennis Lea 1917 HW92
    |--M. latus Waterhouse 1875 HW92
    |--M. longitarsus Waterhouse 1875 HW92
    |--M. macleaynus Westwood 1842 (see below for synonymy) HW92
    |--M. major Blackburn 1888 HW92
    |--M. mellianus Westwood 1842 [incl. M. sinuaticeps Blackburn 1889] HW92
    |--M. metellus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. milkappus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. modicus Blackburn 1898 HW92
    |--M. occidentalis Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. olor Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. ordensis Blackburn 1898 HW92
    |--M. parandus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. parvulus Macleay 1871 [incl. M. acutangulus Waterhouse 1875] HW92
    |--M. pellus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. pilosus Blackburn 1891 HW92
    |--M. proximus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. puncticollis Lea 1924 HW92
    |--M. pygidialis Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. raucus Blackburn 1907 HW92
    |--M. relictus Blackburn 1907 HW92
    |--M. rufus Westwood 1842 HW92
    |--M. rugosicollis Macleay 1871 HW92
    |--M. rugosipes Blackburn 1888 [incl. M. imitator Blackburn 1898] HW92
    |--M. savagei Lea 1917 HW92
    |--M. serratus Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. sordidus (Boisduval 1835) (see below for synonymy) HW92
    |--M. squamipennis Lea 1917 HW92
    |--M. stradbrokensis Lea 1919 HW92
    |--M. tibialis Blackburn 1892 HW92
    |--M. tridentatus Britton 1963 HW92
    |--M. tumidifrons Britton 1957 HW92
    |--M. variolosus Macleay 1871 HW92
    `--M. wilsoni Britton 1957 HW92

Maechidius macleaynus Westwood 1842 [=M. macleajanus (l. c.), M. macleayanus (l. c.); incl. M. multistriatus Blackburn 1898] HW92

Maechidius sordidus (Boisduval 1835) [=*Geobatus sordidus; incl. M. raddonianus Westwood 1842, M. raddonanus (l. c.)] HW92

*Maechidius spurius (Kirby 1818) HW92 [=Trox spurius HW92; incl. T. australis B35, Maechidius kirbianus Westwood 1845 HW92, M. kirbyanus (l. c.) 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.

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.

[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.