Synonyms
Stethorus (Parastethorus) Pang and Mao, 1975: 421. TS: Stethorus (Parastethorus) yunnanensis Pang & Mao, 1975.
Diagnosis
Parastethorus is easily distinguished from Stethorus by its dorsal setae dense and only weakly erect and the abdominal postcoxal line recurved but distinctly incomplete.
Description
Length 1.0-2.0 mm. Body elongate-oval and moderately convex; winged; dorsum uniformly hairy head dorsally not covered by pronotum;. Elytral colour blackish. Head transverse; eyes finely facetted, not emarginate. Antenna 11-segmented; slightly shorter than head capsule with scape and pedicel enlarged and subequal; antennomere 3 short; antennal club 3-segmented. Terminal maxillary palpomere weakly expanded apically. Pronotal disc evenly convex; lateral and anterior borders distinct. Prosternum moderately long in front of coxae, arcuate; prosternal process very narrow without distinct carinae. Anterior margin of mesoventrite straight medially. Mesoventrite broader than coxal diameter; Metaventral postcoxal lines strongly recurved. Elytral epipleuron very narrow, incomplete apically, not foveate. Tibial spurs absent. Abdominal postcoxal line slightly recurved but largely incomplete laterally. Male terminalia. Parameres and phallobase symmetrical; penis guide symmetrical. Parameres articulated with phallobase. Penis stout, consisting of single sclerite; basal capsule weak to absent. Apodeme of male sternum 9 very narrow and rod-like. Female terminalia. Coxities triangular, about as long as broad; styli strongly reduced and hardly visible; infundibulum absent; sperm duct simple, uniform in diameter. Spermatheca distinctly curved with cornu and basal ramus and nodulus; spermathecal accessory gland distinctly separated from sperm duct.
Distribution and Biology
Large genus with many cryptic species worldwide. Two species are known from Australia. Species of this genus feed exclusively on spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae).
Genus References
Pang, X-f and J. Mao. 1975. Important natural enemies of the tetranychid mites - Stethorus Weise. Acta Entomologica Sinica, 18: 418-24.
Houston, K J. 1980. A revision of the Australian species of Stethorus Weise (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society, 19: 81-91.
Gordon, R.D. and Chapin, E.A. 1983. A revision of the New World species of Stethorus Weise (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 109: 229-276.
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
[ Top ]