Again a job for Martin.
This beetle was captured on the 14.10.2018 but I can't change the date.
18.june 2024 beetle identified by Martin and others on INaturalist.
This is a hard one. All black nocturnal beetles were probably assumed to be Paropsisterna morio which was one of the first beetles ever described in Australia by Fabricius, 1787. Noting the date, it is one of the later Cook voyages (and found in Tasmania) and described after return to London.
Well, the species in Queensland are not morio at all and there are several species there, that cannot reliable be determined without dissection. A couple of these were named recently by Daccordi but some have not yet been named.
This is possibly closer to Paropsisterna beata, as the pronotal cheeks match, simply the elytral dots are absent.
I would be interested to know if 1/ it is nocturnal or duirnal (found under bark or on foliage) 2/ would you be willing to send some down to me for morphometrics, particularly males ? martinl@nex.net.au
Posted 7 years ago
comments (2)
Well, the species in Queensland are not morio at all and there are several species there, that cannot reliable be determined without dissection. A couple of these were named recently by Daccordi but some have not yet been named.
This is possibly closer to Paropsisterna beata, as the pronotal cheeks match, simply the elytral dots are absent.
I would be interested to know if 1/ it is nocturnal or duirnal (found under bark or on foliage) 2/ would you be willing to send some down to me for morphometrics, particularly males ? martinl@nex.net.au Posted 7 years ago