Synonyms
Paraphellus Chazeau, 1981: 119. TS: Paraphellus pacificus Chazeau, 1981.
Diagnosis
Paraphellus may be confused with Scymnomorphus and Pharellus, mainly because of their small size and similar general appearance. Paraphellus differs from both above mentioned genera in having antenna with large, single segmented clubanteriorly, forming support for the gular region of head; claws simple or with slightly broadened bases.
Description
Body minute, not exceeding 1.5 mm, distinctly convex; winged or wingless. Dorsal vestiture consisting hairs of uniform length. Head transverse with clypeal and frontal regions usually distinctly prominent. Antenna 8-segmented with large 1-segmented club. Pronotum with or without distinct line separating anterior corners from pronotal disc. Prosternum strongly reduced, forming raised parallel sided process between coxa. Elytral punctures dense and completely irregular; epipleuron narrow, incomplete apically, without cavities; lateral part of elytron without an epipleural carina along elytral margin. Abdomen with five visible ventrites, ventrite 5 rounded posteriorly. Postcoxal line of abdominal ventrite 1 incomplete, never reaching lateral margin of ventrite, with associated additional lines and pores.
Distribution and Biology
Known only from Fiji and Australia. Biology unknown.
Genus References
Chazeau, J. 1981. Description du genre Paraphellus établi pour Paraphellus pacificus, nouvelle espèce de Coccinellidae des Iles Fidji (Coleoptera). Revue France d'Entomologie (Nouvelle Serie), 3: 119-122.
Miyatake, M. 1994. Revisional studies on Asian genera of the subfamily Sticholotidinae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Memoirs of the College of Agriculture, Ehime University, 38: 223-292.
Slipinski, A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
Slipinski, A. and Tomaszewska, K.W. 2005. Revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coccinellidae). Part 5. Tribe Sukunahikonini. Australian Journal of Entomology, 44: 369-384.
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