Synonyms
Phrynocaria Timberlake, 1943: 34. TS: Coccinella congener Bilberg,1808.
Diagnosis
Phrynocaria can easily be confused with Coleophora sharing similar body size, colour pattern and distinctly foveolate prothoracic hypomeron. Phrynocaria is distinguished from Coleophora by lack of tibial spurs and its bigger eyes that are narrowly separated on vertex.
Description
Length 4-6.2 mm. Elytra strongly convex; glabrous. Elytral colour pattern very variable. Head with anterior clypeal border straight between lateral projections; frons very narrow between eyes. Antenna 11-segmented; shorter than head capsule with moderately compact 3-segmented club. Terminal maxillary palpomere securiform. Pronotal disc evenly convex transversely to narrowly upturned and slightly thickened external borders. Prothoracic hypomeron with fovea near anterior angles; prosternal process with or without distinct carinae. Anterior margin of mesoventrite deeply emarginate medially. Elytral margin with narrow raised margins; epipleuron not or slightly foveate. Tibial spurs absent. Abdominal postcoxal line not recurved and incomplete laterally without oblique additional line. Male terminalia. Parameres and phallobase symmetrical; penis guide symmetrical. Parameres articulated with phallobase. Penis split; basal capsule distinct and T-shaped. Apodeme of male sternum 9 very narrow and rod-like. Female terminalia. Coxities club-handle like; styli terminal, well developed, with apical setae; infundibulum a lightly sclerotised but clearly delimited piece of bursa; sperm duct simple, uniform in diameter. Spermatheca distinctly curved with cornu and basal ramus and nodulus; spermathecal accessory gland adjacent to sperm duct.
Distribution and Biology
There are about 10 valid species classified in this genus distributed in Oriental, Papuan and Australian regions. Two described species are known from northern Australia, their prey list are various coccids, aphids and psyllids.
Genus References
Timberlake, P. H. 1943. The Coccinellidae or ladybeetles of the Koebele collection - part I. The Hawaiian Planters' Record, 47, (1): 7-67.
Iablokoff-Khnzorian, S M. 1982. Les coccinelles. Coleoptères-Coccinellidae. Société nouvelle des editions Boubée, Paris. 568 pp.
Pope, R. D. 1989. A revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). Part 1. Subfamily Coccinellinae. Invertebrate Taxonomy, 2 (1988): 663-735.
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
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