S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 49. (Budapest, 1988)

FOLIA ENTOMOLOGICA HUNGARICA ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK XLIX 1988 p. 49-54 Remarks on the general classification of Buprestidae Leach as applied to Maoraxiina Hoi. By R. HOLYNSKI ' (Received December 15, 1987) Abstract: In attempt to clarify the systematic position of Maoraxia Obb. , a reassessment of the currently accepted higher categories in Buprestidae Leach proved to be necessary. The family has been divided into four subfamilies: Schizopodinae Lec., Julodinae Lac., Buprestinae Leach and Agrilinae C.G. The subfamily Buprestinae Leach comprises the following tribes: Acmaeoderini Kerr., Ptosimini Kerr., Mastogeniini L. H., Polycestini Lac. (and perhaps one or several others out of the old "Polycestinae Lac"), Thrincopygini Lec, Buprestini Leach, Stigmoderini Lac, Anthaxiini C.G. and Chrysobothrini C. G. Within the Anthaxiini C.G. 14 subtribes are defined, Maoraxiina Hoi. (stat. n. ) is one of them. Neocuris Frm. appears to be the closest relative of Maoraxia Obb., yet seems sufficiently different to be separated into a subtribe of its own. The differences among the subtribes of the Anthaxiini C.G., and between this tribe and the Buprestini Leach are shown in the key and discussed. Notobubastes Cart, isnot a member of Bubastina Obb. - instead, it ranks among the Psi-Iopterina Lac. of the Buprestini Leach, as a subgenus of Psiloptera Sol. closely related to Lampetis Spin. Three years ago I showed (HOLYNSKI 1984) that Maoraxia Obb. has nothing to do with the Mastogeniini L. H., and should be separated into a tribe of its own. The creation of the Maoraxiini Hoi. was then only a by-product of my study of the Oriental and Australian Mastogeniini L. H., and therefore, though I felt that the systematic position of the new tribe must be somewhere near Anthaxiini CG., I did not pursue the problem. In 19 85 BELLAMY (in litt. ) expressed the opinion, that the closest relative of Maoraxia Obb. is Neocuris Frm. Later BELLAMY et WILLIAMS (1985) included Maoraxia Obb. formally into the "Anthaxiae", and then BELLAMY (1985, 1986a), more specifically, into the Anthaxiini C.G., making (BELLAMY 1986a) Maoraxiini Hoi. a synonym of the latter. While BELLAMY seems to be perfectly right as to the direction (towards Neocuris Frm. ) of the affinities of Maoraxia Obb., I cannot agree with his estimation of the extent to which they are related. The fact, that he has neither directly expressed his opinion (it only appears from the fact of synonymization), nor seriously motivated it (the bare declaration, that "because of the current redefinition of the genera of the Anthaxiae in the present classification, it is obvious that the Maoraxiini must be reduced to a junior synonym of the Anthaxiini" is rather poor argument) makes the discussion a little difficult, but some comments seem necessary. It is a well-known fact, that the "internal" classification of the Buprestidae Leach remains poorly understood. BELLAMY seems to be quite satisfied with the system proposed by COBOS (1980), which - according to him - "has yielded a much tighter classification at the higher levels, with but a few situations that need clarifying"(BELLA MY 1986a). My opinion