Synonyms
Chilocorus micrus Slipinski and Giorgi, 2006: 271.
Diagnosis
The orange pronotum and the completely piceous elytra in combination with small size and broad protibia will distinguish this species from the other Australian Chilocorus.
Description
Length 2.8 mm. Male. Head and pronotum orange to yellowish, elytra piceous; venter yellowish. Head slightly depressed between eyes; polished between punctures; punctation obsolete, present only in the clypeal lateral extension. Eyes dorsally separated by approximately the width of an eye; inner ocular margin strongly diverging apically. Antennomere 8 short, about as long as 7th. Terminal maxillary palpomere wider at basal half, slightly narrowing towards the apex; terminal labial palpomere slender, about 2 times longer than basal width, about as long as preceding segment. Pronotal surface polished between punctures; punctation smaller than eye facets, shallow and sparse, approximately 2 diameters apart, obsolete on anterior angles; lateral border rounded, somewhat acute; prosternum short, slightly shorter than prosternal process widest width. Elytral surface polished between punctures; punctation stronger, deeper and denser than on pronotum; about as large as eye facets, much larger at lateral margin, forming irregular row across margin; epipleural foveae vestigial. Abdomen with ventrite 6 somewhat truncate at apex; surface of ventrite 1 polished between postcoxal lines.
Male
Tegmen relatively long, about 3/4 the abdomen length; penis guide asymmetrical, slightly shorter than parameres; parameres densely setose at apex, the setae long; strut as long as tegmen.
Female
Similar to male but differing by the having only 5 visible abdominal ventrites.
Variation
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Distribution and Biology
Known from two specimens collected on Melville Island (Northern Territory).
Species References
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
Slipinski, A. and Giorgi, J.A. 2006. Revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coccinellidae). Part 6. Tribe Chilocorini. Annales Zoologici (Warszawa), 56(2): 265-304.
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