Liparetrus Guérin-Méneville, 1831

Sub family: Melolonthinae / Tribe: Liparetini / Genus: Liparetrus

Small shiny beetles, 3-14mm in length. Body colouration black, reddish, yellowish or brown, not metallic. Elytra shortened, leaving propygidium mostly exposed. Clypeus with a varyingly shaped apex- crenulate, sinuate, truncate, curved/rounded, or emarginate forms have all been recorded. Labrum located below clypeus, and separated by a suture. Antennae usually 9-segmented, rarely 7-8 segmented. Antennal club always 3-segmented. Metacoxae usually with pale transparent margins. Propygidium often fused with penultimate ventrite into a continuous ring around the pygidium. Foretibia usually bidentate. If tridentate, then the third tooth is not close to base of tibia. Tarsal claws simple.

There are around 240 recognised species of Liparetrus. The genus is a member of the tribe Liparetini which share the following features:

Body colour not metallic. Apical spurs on the hind tibia widely separated, so that the tarsi can pass between them. Claws simple, lacking teeth. Labrum located below clypeus, clearly separate. Mesosternum without a forwardly projecting process. Abdominal ventrites lacking longitudinal ridges. Tibia strongly expanded at their apices, lateral profile of hind tibia concave between the transverse spinose ridge and the apex.

An updated key to the genera of Australian Liparetini can be found in Weir et.al. (2019).

Separating features:

Within the key, Liparetrus is closest to Coplochila, but they are generally much smaller in size (3-14mm compared to Coplochila 11-33mm), and only ever have a 3-segmented antennal club (varying from 3-7 segmented in Coplochila). Key genera defining features are also the posterior coxae being pale and membraneous/translucent in most Liparetrus. If darkened/opaque, the penultimate ventrite lacks a suture separating it with the propygidium.

A key to the species of Liparetrus can be found in Britton (1980).

Liparetrus are usually found feeding on flowers or foliage of various species of Eucalyptus. Adult emergence can be brought about by rain.

Larvae are soil dwellers, feeding on organic matter.

Liparetrus are found only in Australia, and can be found across all Australian states and territories. The majority of species can be encountered through inland environments. Nearly half of all species are known from Western Australia.

(PDF) Britton (1980) A revision of the Australian chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae), 3. Tribe Liparetrini: genus Liparetrus: http://www.publish.csiro.au/zs/pdf/ajzs076

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

Britton, E.B. 1990. A Synopsis of the Australian genera of Liparetrini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae). Invertebrate Systematics, 4 (1), 159-195.

Weir T.A., Lawrence J.F., Lemann C., Gunter N.L. 2019. 31. Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae Leach, 1819. In: Australian Beetles. Volume 2. Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga (part) (eds A Ślipiński & JF Lawrence) pp. 516–530. CSIRO, Clayton, Australia.