Synonyms
Orcus lafertei Mulsant, 1853: 190.
Diagnosis
This species is separable from O. cyanocephalus by its elytra with reddish or greenish metallic reflection.
Description
Length 4.0-4.7 mm. Male. Dorsal surface reddish, greenish or bluish; pronotum with anterior angles usually greenish, contrasting with the discal colour; elytra with metallic reflection; venter usually pale brownish, except for epipleura and hypomera, which are dark brownish; in some specimens pro-, meso-, and metaventrites and legs dark brownish. Body rounded, convex. Head micro reticulate between punctures; punctation about as large as eye facets, not conspicuously deep and somewhat sparse, nearly 2 diameters apart. Eyes with inner margin slightly diverging apically. Antenna 9-segmented; pedicel about as long as its greatest width; 3rd antennomere slightly shorter than pedicel; 9th elongate, about 2 times longer than basal width. Terminal maxillary palpomere with sides nearly parallel; the apex moderately oblique with outer side about 1.5 times longer than inner; terminal labial palpomere elongate; about 3 times longer than basal width; about as long as preceding segment. Pronotal surface sculptured as on head, the sculptures much weaker; punctation slightly larger than eye facets, as shallow as on head but more concentrated, approximately 1 diameter apart; the punctures confluent on anterior angles; anterior angles with distinct strigae; lateral borders somewhat oblique; bordering line interrupted at base, the line slightly bent at the lateral border; prosternum moderately long in front of coxae, about 1.5 times longer than prosternal process widest width; hypomeral foveae conspicuous; hind tibiae with outer tooth; tarsal claws distinctly appendiculate. Elytral surface sculptured as on pronotum; punctation slightly weaker than on pronotum, slightly shallower and sparser; lateral margin weakly reflexed, without clear bead; epipleural foveae conspicuous. Abdomen with 6 ventrites; 6th reduced, sometimes not very obvious in dry specimens, straight to slightly emarginate at apex; surface of ventrite 1 polished between postcoxal lines; postcoxal lines joined at middle, running parallel to posterior margin of ventrite, almost reaching lateral margin; apical border of intercoxal process conspicuously swollen.
Male
Tegmen about 2/3 the abdomen length; penis guide symmetrical, as long as to slightly longer than the parameres; parameres densely setose at apex, the setae long; strut about as long as tegmen; penis as figured.
Female
Female identical to male, except for having only 5 visible abdominal ventrites, the 5th ventrite also rounded but longer than in male, about 2 times longer than 4th, somewhat oval.
Variation
Unknown.
Distribution and Biology
Common along the eastern coast from northern NSW to tropical Queensland.
Species References
Blackburn, T. 1895. Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions of new genera and species. XVIII. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 19: 201-258.
Mulsant, E. 1853. Supplement à la monographie des Coléoptères trimères sécuripalpes. Annales de la Société Linnéenne de Lyon, 1: 129-333.
Lea, A. M. 1902. Descriptions of new species of Australian Coleoptera. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 1901: 481-513.
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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