Synonyms
Sticholotis tozer Slipinski, 2004: 397.
Diagnosis
This species differs from very similar and entirely black S. cooloola by fully developed wings, broader pronotal and elytral margins and the pronotal interspaces shiny and not at all reticulate.
Description
Length 3.2-4.1 mm. Winged; form rounded, moderately convex; pronotal and elytral margins broad and entirely visible from above. Surfaces between pronotal and elytral punctures highly polished; interspaces between head punctures finely but densely reticulate and feebly shiny; pronotal punctures coarse, about as large as frontal ones, denser laterally than at middle of pronotum, the elytral punctures fine dorsally becoming coarser and denser towards lateral margins but always distinctly smaller than the pronotal ones; dorsal surfaces apparently glabrous but head with very short setae and few longer setae along the anterior clypeal margin. Ground color of dorsal and ventral surfaces blackish brown to black, labrum and legs except for tarsi and abdomen brown to dark brown; tarsi, mouthparts and antennae yellowish brown. Head flat at middle, regularly punctate. Clypeus weakly arcuate anteriorly, faintly upturned at anterior edge. Eyes large, coarsely facetted, dorsally separated by about thrice width of an eye. Metaventrite as long as abdominal ventrite 1 with complete discrimen. Scutellum triangular, small. Elytral epipleuron yellowish, broad and weakly concave, without distinct foveae, descending externally, with maximum width at the level of metaventrite. Abdomen: postcoxal line curved posteriad and laterad closely paralleling posterior margin for most of length, fading well before attaining lateral margin; postcoxal disc impunctate inside.
Male
Male genitalia: tegmen 0.5 times and median lobe 0.7 times as long as abdomen; each paramere with single moderately long seta at apex.
Female
Not externally different from male. Ovipositor moderately sclerotised, coxities entirely separated; spermatheca not sclerotised.
Variation
Not observed.
Distribution and Biology
This species has been collected in tropical rainforests of Northern Queensland. The larva and biology are unknown.
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Species References
Slipinski, A. 2004. Revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). Part 2. Tribe Sticholotidini. Annales Zoologici, 54: 389-402.
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