3464 Author Levey, Brian text Zootaxa 2012 2012-09-07 3464 1 107 journal article 1175­5334 3724EFC3-7F13-4F82-A048-DB23F5C1EAEF Key to the species of the propinqua species-group 1 Base of elytra markedly biarcuate; each elytron with traces of four costae; upperside and underside golden-green, the elytra with a specifically diagnostic black pattern (Fig. 129)........................ M. eximia sp. n. ( gloriosa species-group) - Without the above combination of characters................................................................ 2 2 Underside clothed with inconspicuous, very sparse, short, translucent, silvery pubescence; very large, robust species, 14–21 mm long ( Fig. 141 ) M. robusta Carter ( gloriosa species-group) - Underside clothed with obvious, longer, denser pubescence; smaller, less robust species, usually less than 14 mm long..... 3 3 Elytra golden-copper with a diagnostic blue-black pattern consisting of a broad elongate vitta extending from the base to about the mid-length on each elytron, and a sinuate transverse mark just behind the middle which is narrowly prolonged basally and apically along the suture, and apically expanded laterally to produce a poorly defined arrow shaped mark; pronotum reddishcopper at centre becoming golden-copper laterally, with a pair of blue-black admedian vittae (Fig. 128); species from Northern Territory ................................................................................. M. dives Carter - Elytral colour pattern not as above; species not from Northern Territory .......................................... 4 4 Pubescence translucent, silvery.......................................................................... 5 - Pubescence opaque, white.............................................................................. 6 5 Mesoepisternum microreticulate, with a few, shallow, setae-bearing punctures; elytral apices narrowly rounded, the sutural margins slightly divergent at the apex; colour golden-green, golden or coppery, with the elytral apices reddish-violet or greenish-blue; head clothed with obvious, long, outstanding pubescence, the setae only downcurved near the tip (soiled specimens may have the pubescence flattened) (Fig. 122) M. rectipilosa sp. n. - Mesoepisternum shiny, with a few, to many small, variably shaped punctures; elytral apices broadly rounded, the sutural margins not divergent at the apex; colour rarely as above; if head clothed with obvious, long pubescence, then setae downcurved for most of their length..................................................... gloriosa species-group 6 Pronotum with a pair of well defined admedian vittae; elytra with contrastingly coloured vittae or fasciae (Figs. 120, 121)... ................................................................................................... 13 - If pronotum with indications of a pair of admedian vittae then elytra without coloured vittae or fasciae although the elytral apices may be differently coloured to the rest of the elytra 7 7 Unpunctured anterior border of pronotum broad and well defined at the centre, separated by a well defined groove from the rest of the pronotum ( Fig. 152 ); mesoepisternum with or without large shallow setae-bearing punctures on the disc; species from W. Australia .................................................................................... 8 - Unpunctured anterior border of pronotum narrow and sometimes poorly defined at centre, the groove often obsolete at the centre ( Fig. 151 ); mesoepisternum usually with some large shallow setae-bearing punctures on the disc; species from S. & E. Australia ........................................................................................... 11 8 Mesoepisternum with large shallow setae-bearing punctures on most of the disc (Fig. 44); pronotum more or less reddishpurple in central third contrasting with rest of the green pronotum; midline of pronotum usually depressed with the punctation denser in the midline than on the immediately adjacent areas (Fig. 123) M. propinqua depressa ssp. n. - Mesoepisternum with few or no large shallow setae-bearing punctures on the disk; pronotum not bicoloured; midline of pronotum not depressed with the punctation no denser than that of the immediately adjacent areas..................... 9 9 Pubescence of underside less coarse scarcely concealing the punctation; inner half of elytra usually with the punctation partly arranged in punctured striae, the associated interstriae less regularly punctured; colour very variable................... 10 - Pubescence of underside slightly coarser, partly concealing the punctation; inner half of elytra usually uniformly punctured; colour usually brown-bronze (Fig. 125); aedeagus usually with parameres slightly widening from base to mid-length ( Fig. 183 ).................................................................................. M. uniformis Carter 10 Upperside green or olive-green, the apices of the elytra reddish-purple or reddish-violet (Fig. 124); underside reddish-purple or blackish-lilac; aedeagus with parameres widest beyond the mid-length ( Fig. 182 )..................... M. simulata sp. n. - Colour very variable, but not usually as above; aedeagus with parameres scarcely widening, almost parallel sided in basal twothirds ( Fig. 185 )............................................................... M. cuprifera (Laporte & Gory) 11 Elytra moderately shiny, usually with weak microsculpture; with indications of punctured striae and often costate interstriae in the internal half; pronotum usually slightly depressed or unpunctured in the midline................................ 12 - Elytra usually less shiny, with obvious microsculpture; with scarcely a trace of punctured striae or costate intervals in the internal half; pronotum usually neither depressed nor unpunctured in the midline; Tasmania , S. E. Victoria & A.C.T....................................................................................... M. propinqua porteri (Hope) 12 Pronotum often unpunctured for part of its length, in the midline, not or scarcely depressed ( Fig. 150 ); elytral interstriae usually not costate in internal half; elytral apices in male crimson or reddish-violet; S. Australia & N.W. Victoria .......................................................................................... M. propinqua verna (Hope) - Pronotum usually slightly depressed and the punctation usually more dense in the midline than elsewhere ( Fig. 149 ); elytra usually with one or two costate interstriae in the internal half; elytral apices sometimes darkened, but not differently coloured from the rest of the elytra; New South Wales & Queensland .................. M. propinqua propinqua (Laporte & Gory) 13 Elytra blackish-lilac, blackish-green or reddish-copper with a blue-green, golden-green or reddish-copper sutural vitta, humeral vitta, median fascia and pre-apical macula, the median fascia sometimes joined to the humeral vitta (Fig. 120)....................................................................................... M. regalis regalis Carter - Elytra reddish-purple with a broad bright green sinuate lateral vitta extending from the base to the apical fifth (Fig. 121)................................................................................. M. regalis carnabyorum ssp. n.