Synonyms
Chilocorus micrus Slipinski and Giorgi, 2006: 271.
Diagnosis
The orange pronotum and the completely piceous elytra in combination with small size and broad protibia will distinguish this species from the other Australian Chilocorus.
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Description
Length 2.8 mm. Male. Head and pronotum orange to yellowish, elytra piceous; venter yellowish. Head slightly depressed between eyes; polished between punctures; punctation obsolete, present only in the clypeal lateral extension. Eyes dorsally separated by approximately the width of an eye; inner ocular margin strongly diverging apically. Antennomere 8 short, about as long as 7th. Terminal maxillary palpomere wider at basal half, slightly narrowing towards the apex; terminal labial palpomere slender, about 2 times longer than basal width, about as long as preceding segment. Pronotal surface polished between punctures; punctation smaller than eye facets, shallow and sparse, approximately 2 diameters apart, obsolete on anterior angles; lateral border rounded, somewhat acute; prosternum short, slightly shorter than prosternal process widest width. Elytral surface polished between punctures; punctation stronger, deeper and denser than on pronotum; about as large as eye facets, much larger at lateral margin, forming irregular row across margin; epipleural foveae vestigial. Abdomen with ventrite 6 somewhat truncate at apex; surface of ventrite 1 polished between postcoxal lines.
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Male
Tegmen relatively long, about 3/4 the abdomen length; penis guide asymmetrical, slightly shorter than parameres; parameres densely setose at apex, the setae long; strut as long as tegmen.
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Female
Similar to male but differing by the having only 5 visible abdominal ventrites.
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Variation
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
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Distribution and Biology
Known from two specimens collected on Melville Island (Northern Territory).
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Species References
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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