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Ateratocerus Blackburn |
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Ateratocerus intricatus Blackburn
Scale bar equals 1 mm |
Species found in New South Wales: Ateratocerus intricatus Blackburn
Description
Length: 5 - 7 mm; body form elongate (length to width ratio 2:1) and flat (length to height ratio 3.5:1).
Head: Not contracted behind eyes, eyes not laterally prominent; frons without vertical groove beside inner margin of eye; frontoclypeal suture transverse V shaped; first segment of maxillary palp not flattened; apical segment of maxillary palp quadrate, with truncate apex; apical margin of mentum shallowly concave.
Thorax: Pronotum broadest at or near base; trichobothrium present in anterior and posterior angles; pronotal disc smooth, almost impunctate; base of pronotum with narrow raised border; hypomeron without lateral groove; anterior of prosternum without median or lateral ridges, not medially produced; prosternal process slightly elongate, without a pair of right-angled lobes at base; procoxal cavity open, gap at least half width of coxa; elytra at humeri much broader than pronotum; elytra non-tuberculate, distinctly striate near suture and at sides, 5th stria deepened at base; elytra not extended at sides, epipleura entirely visible; base of elytra not overlapping posterior angles of pronotum; epipleuron narrow, much less than quarter width of elytral remainder; apical half of epipleura without short stiff setae; anterior face of mesoventrite process abruptly sloping, straight, posterior margin straight; metaventrite without anterior femoral plates; metaventrite process not anteriorly raised; apices of mid and hind tibia without row of teeth; tibiae with partial or without external keels; apex of third tarsal segment slightly concave; claws toothed, basal lobe appendiculate and right-angled.
Abdomen: Pygidium without well-defined median groove; abdominal ventrites smooth, without distinct punctures; apex of last ventrite strongly serrate.
Distribution and biology
The genus Ateratocerus is endemic to Australia and includes a single species, A. intricatus Blackburn (Reid 2004). This rare species is confined to the rainforests of north-eastern New South Wales, from Dorrigo northwards, and south-eastern Queensland. The hostplants and immature stages are unknown.
References
Reid, C. A. M. 2004. A taxonomic revision of the Australian Chrysomelinae, with a key to the genera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Zootaxa
Copyright © Australian Museum 2016
Authors: Chris Reid and Kindi Smith