Synonyms
Roger Slipinski, 2007: 125. TS: Roger boothi Slipinski, 2007.
Diagnosis
Roger is easily distinguished from all known Australian Coccinellidae by its relatively flattened setose body, elongate head dorsally covered by pronotum, very long prosternum in front of procoxae and setose foveae on male fifth abdominal ventrite.
Description
Length 4-5 mm. Head dorsally covered by pronotum; body elongate and distinctly flattened; dorsum uniformly hairy. Elytral colour blackish. Head narrow, elongate with eyes very narrowly separated on vertex. Antenna 11-segmented; slightly shorter than head capsule with scape enlarged and externally arcuate; antennal club 3-segmented, asymmetrical. Terminal maxillary palpomere strongly securiform. Prosternum long in front of coxae, arcuate; prosternal process very narrow without distinct carinae. Anterior margin of mesoventrite weakly emarginate medially. Elytral epipleuron very narrow, incomplete apically, not foveate. Tibial spurs formula 0-2-2. Abdominal postcoxal line recurved and complete laterally; male with 5th ventrite bearing setose foveae. Male terminalia. Parameres and phallobase symmetrical; penis guide symmetrical. Parameres articulated with penis guide. Penis stout, consisting of single sclerite; basal capsule distinct and T-shaped. Apodeme of male sternum 9 very narrow and rod-like. Female terminalia. Coxities distinctly elongate, triangular; styli strongly reduced and hardly visible; infundibulum absent; sperm duct simple, uniform in diameter. Spermatheca worm-like, without clear ramus or nodulus; spermathecal accessory gland adjacent to sperm duct.
Distribution and Biology
Adults have been collected on trunks and branches of brigalow (Acacia harpophylla), a species of silvery wattle that gives the mosaic of open forest and woodland communities known as the Brigalow Belt that spans inland and eastern Queensland from Townsville in the north to northern New South Wales.
Genus References
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
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