Accepted by A.B.T. Smith: 10 Oct. 2014; published: 6 Nov. 2014 ZOOTAXA ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Copyright © 2014 Magnolia Press Zootaxa 3881 (4): 301–327 www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article 301 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3881.4.1 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EB622D4D-91F5-4E34-A4CB-3305CF4787AB Revision of the genus Metallesthes Kraatz and description of Metallesthes anneliesae, a new species of Cetoniinae (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from Queensland and New South Wales, Australia CHRISTIAN H. MOESENEDER 1 , PAUL M. HUTCHINSON 2 & CHRISTINE L. LAMBKIN 3 1 CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Ecosciences Precinct, Dutton Park, Qld 4001, Australia. E-mail: chris.moeseneder@csiro.au 2 Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia, Quarantine Western Australia, Perth, W.A. 6105, Australia. E-mail: paul.hutchinson@agric.wa.gov.au 3 Entomology, Natural Environments, Queensland Museum, South Brisbane, Qld 4101, Australia. E-mail: christine.lambkin@qm.qld.gov.au Abstract The endemic Australian flower chafer genus Metallesthes Kraatz, 1880 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae) is revised. Metallesthes anneliesae Moeseneder & Hutchinson new species is described from southern Queensland and New South Wales. Metallesthes unicolor (Macleay, 1863) revised status is raised from synonymy with Metallesthes metallescens (White, 1859). Metallesthes metallescens and Metallesthes unicolor are redescribed and their holotypes are figured. A specimen bearing a Nonfried type label is designated as the lectotype of Metallesthes subpilosa Nonfried, 1891. Metall- esthes subpilosa new synonymy is synonymised with Pseudoclithria ruficornis (Westwood, 1874). A key to the species of the genus is provided. Distribution maps are shown and known host plants are listed. Introduction Worldwide, the flower chafers (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Cetoniinae—sensu Bouchard et al., 2011) number approximately 4273 species in 485 genera (Krajcik 2012), while in Australia 140 species are known (110 in Schizorhinini, 13 in Cetoniini, 17 in Valgini) (Calder 2002, Hutchinson & Moeseneder 2013, Moeseneder & Hutchinson 2012, personal observations). The endemic Australian genus Metallesthes Kraatz, 1880, which, at this time, includes three species, is broadly distributed across the southern half of the continent. These beetles are unremarkable in appearance, and are uniformly dark, metallic, or shiny black. They exhibit similar pollen and nectar feeding habits to most other Australian cetoniines. Kraatz (1880) described Metallesthes for six species; Diaphonia metallescens White, 1859, Schizorhina (Diaphonia) rugosa Schaum, 1848, and Schizorhina unicolor Macleay, 1863, which he transferred from Schizorhina Kirby, 1825; and Diaphonia maura Janson, 1874, Diaphonia ruficornis Westwood, 1874, and Diaphonia lacunosa Janson, 1874, which he transferred from Diaphonia Newman, 1840. Similarities between the first three species had been noted earlier by Thomson (1878) while Janson (1874) had considered the three Diaphonia species to be related to D. metallescens. Kraatz’s (1880) description of Metallesthes, however, appears to have been entirely based on female M. metallescens specimens and the taxonomic literature that was available to him. His lack of familiarity with the taxa involved was apparent, as he wrote “I am not able to decide whether there are new genera under Metallesthes without autopsy of the species” [translated from German by CHM]. A further species, Metallesthes subpilosa, was added by Nonfried (1891). Within a treatment of Australian cetoniines, Lea (1914) reduced Metallesthes to two species by transferring Metallesthes ruficornis, M. maura, and M. rugosa to Pseudoclithria van de Poll, 1886, and M. lacunosa to Tapinoschema Thomson, 1880. He also reduced the status of M. unicolor to a variety of M. metallescens. Lea’s (1914) decision to synonymise M. unicolor with M. metallescens was entirely based on a comparison between