''Paropsisterna'' is a genus of

leaf beetle The beetle family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as leaf beetles, includes over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making it one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous s ...

s indigenous to

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. There are over 120 species, many with bright

aposematic Aposematism is the Advertising in biology, advertising by an animal, whether terrestrial or marine, to potential predation, predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defenses which make the pr ...

colours, and many feeding on ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

'' leaves. The genus was described by

Victor Motschulsky Victor Ivanovich Motschulsky, sometimes Victor von Motschulsky ( Russian: Виктор Иванович Мочульский; 11 April 1810, St. Petersburg – 5 June 1871, Simferopol) was a Russian entomologist mainly interested in beetles. ...

in 1860.

Description

''Paropsisterna'' are beetles 3-17 mm long with bodies semicircular to elongate-ovate and moderately to strongly convex. The frontoclypeal suture is rounded or V-shaped, and lacks lateral ridges. The apical maxillary palpomere is strongly expanded from base to truncate apex. The

pronotum The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on e ...

is broadest at its base. The procoxal cavity is open with a gap at least half the width of the procoxa. The mid and hind tibiae have at least one sharp external longitudinal keel. The tarsal claws are usually acutely toothed, rarely simple. Some species are very colourful, but their colours may fade after death.

Diet

This genus of beetles feeds on plants in family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae (), the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All ...

, including '' Acmena'', ''

Agonis ''Agonis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the plant family Myrtaceae. All are endemic to Western Australia, growing near the coast in the south west. Plants in the genus ''Agonis'' are shrubs or trees with bisexual flowers arranged in hea ...

'', ''

Angophora ''Angophora'' is a genus of nine species of trees and shrubs in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Endemic to eastern Australia, they differ from other eucalypts in having juvenile and adult leaves arranged in opposite pairs, sepals reduced to projec ...

'', ''

Baeckea ''Baeckea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, all but one endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus ''Baeckea'' are shrubs or small trees with leaves arranged in opposite pairs, white to deep pink flowers with five s ...

'', ''

Callistemon ''Callistemon'' is a genus of shrubs in the family Myrtaceae, first described as a genus in 1814. The entire genus is endemic to Australia but widely cultivated in many other regions and naturalised in scattered locations. Their status as a se ...

'', ''Darwinia'', ''

'', ''

Kunzea ''Kunzea'' is a genus of plants in the family Myrtaceae and is Endemism, endemic to Australasia. They are shrubs, sometimes small trees and usually have small, crowded, rather Aroma compound, aromatic leaves. The flowers are similar to those of p ...

'', ''

Leptospermum ''Leptospermum'' is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae commonly known as tea trees, although this name is sometimes also used for some species of ''Melaleuca''. Most species are endemic to Australia, with the greate ...

'' and ''

Melaleuca ''Melaleuca'' () is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles, bottlebrushes or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They ...

''. There are also records from ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

'' (which is in family

Fabaceae Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

), but these are likely to be erroneous or related to casual collecting.

Notable species

* '' Paropsisterna agricola'' a pest on ''

Eucalyptus globulus ''Eucalyptus globulus'', commonly known as southern blue gum or blue gum, is a species of flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is a tall, evergreen tree Endemism, endemic to southeastern Australia. This ''Eucalyptus'' species has most ...

'', '' E. delegatensis'' and '' E. dalrympleana'' *'' Paropsisterna bimaculata'' a pest on ''

Eucalyptus regnans ''Eucalyptus regnans'', known variously as mountain ash (in Victoria), giant ash or swamp gum (in Tasmania), or stringy gum, is a species of very tall forest tree that is native to the Australia states of Tasmania and Victoria. It is a straigh ...

'', '' E. obliqua'' and '' E. delegatensis'' * '' Paropsisterna m-fuscum'' a pest on ''

'' * '' Paropsisterna obovata'' a pest on ''

'' in South Australia * '' Paropsisterna selmani'' a pest on ''

'' in

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, introduced to the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland, with a population of about 5.4 million. ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. * '' Paropsisterna tigrina'' proposed as a biological control agent of the invasive Australian Paperbark Tree ''

Melaleuca quinquenervia ''Melaleuca quinquenervia'', commonly known as the broad-leaved paperbark, paper bark tea tree, punk tree or niaouli, is a small- to medium-sized tree of the myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae. It grows as a spreading tree up to tall, ...

'' in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. * '' Paropsisterna variicollis'' a pest on ''

List of species

As of 2006, ''Pariosisterna'' includes the species that were once in genera ''Niliosoma'' Motschulsky, ''Sterromela'' Weise, ''Chrysophtharta'' Weise and ''Xanthogramma'' Weise (note the last of these is also a junior homonym of ''Xanthogramma'' Schiner, an invalid but available name). *'' Paropsisterna aequalis'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna agricola'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna albicans'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna ambigua'' Daccordi, 2003 *'' Paropsisterna amica'' (Newman, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna amoena'' (Clark, 1865) *'' Paropsisterna angustipes'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna annularis'' (Blackburn, 1899) *'' Paropsisterna anomala'' (Blackburn, 1901) *'' Paropsisterna atalanta'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna aurea'' (Blackburn, 1899) *'' Paropsisterna basalis'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna beata'' (Newman, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna bimaculata'' (Olivier, 1807) *'' Paropsisterna brunnea'' (Marsham, 1808) *'' Paropsisterna captiosa'' (Clark, 1866) *'' Paropsisterna cassidoides'' (Boisduval, 1835) *'' Paropsisterna cernua'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna chlorotica'' (Olivier, 1807) *'' Paropsisterna citrina'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna cloelia'' (Stål, 1860) *'' Paropsisterna coccineipennis'' (Weise, 1916) *'' Paropsisterna complexa'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna conferta'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna conjugata'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna crocata'' (Boisduval, 1835) *'' Paropsisterna debilis'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna decolorata'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna defecta'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna deflorata'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna delmastroi'' Daccordi, 2003 *'' Paropsisterna detrita'' (Fabricius, 1775) *'' Paropsisterna difficilis'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna dulcior'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna elliptica'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna erudita'' (Newman, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna fastidiosa'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna flaveola'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna flavolimbata'' Daccordi, 2003 *'' Paropsisterna fulvoguttata'' (Baly, 1866) *'' Paropsisterna fuscula'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna galatea'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna gemina'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna geniculata'' (Boisduval, 1835) *'' Paropsisterna giachinoi'' Daccordi, 2003 *'' Paropsisterna gloriosa'' (Blackburn, 1899) *'' Paropsisterna hackeri'' Daccordi, 2003 *'' Paropsisterna hectica'' (Boisduval, 1835) *'' Paropsisterna incerta'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna inconstans'' (Blackburn, 1899) *'' Paropsisterna insignita'' (Newman, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna inspersa'' (Newman, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna intacta'' (Newman, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna interlita'' (Newman, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna interrupta'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna interstitialis'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna intertincta'' (Clark, 1865) *'' Paropsisterna io'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna irina'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna irrisa'' (Newman, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna jawoyna'' Daccordi, 2003 *'' Paropsisterna laesa'' (Germar, 1848) *'' Paropsisterna lignea'' (Erichson, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna lineata'' (Marsham, 1808) *'' Paropsisterna liturata'' (Marsham, 1808) *'' Paropsisterna m-fuscum'' (Boheman, 1859) *'' Paropsisterna maculicollis'' (Clark, 1865) *'' Paropsisterna madida'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna mentitrix'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna mera'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna minerva'' (Blackburn, 1899) *'' Paropsisterna morio'' (Fabricius, 1787) *'' Paropsisterna nigerrima'' (Germar, 1848) *'' Paropsisterna nigrita'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna nigrostillata'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna nigrovittata'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna nobilitata'' (Erichson, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna notabilis'' (Blackburn, 1896) *'' Paropsisterna nucea'' (Erichson, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna nupta'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna obliterata'' (Erichson, 1842) *'' Paropsisterna obovata'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna octolineata'' (Gory, 1833) *'' Paropsisterna octomaculata'' (Marsham, 1808) *'' Paropsisterna octosignata'' (Stål, 1860) *'' Paropsisterna opaciceps'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna pachyta'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna pallida'' (Olivier, 1807) *'' Paropsisterna philomela'' (Blackburn, 1901) *'' Paropsisterna pictipes'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna pluvialis'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna polyglypta'' (Germar, 1848) *'' Paropsisterna polyxo'' (Blackburn, 1901) *'' Paropsisterna proxima'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna pulverulenta'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna purpureoaurea'' (Clark, 1865) *'' Paropsisterna purpureoviridis'' Clark, 1864 *'' Paropsisterna raucicollis'' (Blackburn, 1899) *'' Paropsisterna remota'' (Germar, 1848) *'' Paropsisterna rufescens'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna rufipes'' (Fabricius, 1801) *'' Paropsisterna rufobrunnea'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna selmani'' Reid & de Little, 2013 *'' Paropsisterna semifumata'' (Blackburn, 1901) *'' Paropsisterna seminigripes'' (Lea, 1924) *'' Paropsisterna semivittata'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna sexpustulata'' (Marsham, 1808) *'' Paropsisterna simsoni'' (Blackburn, 1899) *'' Paropsisterna spadicea'' Weise, 1916 *'' Paropsisterna stictica'' (Marsham, 1808) *'' Paropsisterna stygia'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna subcincta'' (Blackburn, 1898) *'' Paropsisterna subcostata'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna suspiciosa'' (Baly, 1866) *'' Paropsisterna tenebrosa'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna tenella'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna tessellata'' (Clark, 1865) *'' Paropsisterna testacea'' (Olivier, 1807) *'' Paropsisterna tigrina'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna trimaculata'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna variabilis'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna variicollis'' (Chapuis, 1877) *'' Paropsisterna vittata'' (Blackburn, 1899)

Gallery

Paropsisterna crocata Coldstream4.JPG, '' Paropsisterna crocata'' Paropsisterna decolorata59.jpg, '' Paropsisterna decolorata'' Paropsisterna erudita Brisbane RangesNP2.jpg, '' Paropsisterna erudita'' Paropsisterna intcta Frankston1114.JPG, '' Paropsisterna intacta'' Paropsisterna liturataBlackheath13March16GW.jpg, '' Paropsisterna liturata'' Paropsisterna morio Coldstream-1.jpg, '' Paropsisterna morio'' Paropsisterna nigerrima alternataGisborne.jpg, ''Paropsisterna nigerrima alternata'' Paropsisterna pictipes.jpg, '' Paropsisterna pictipes'' Paropsisterna remota BigDDec15.jpg, '' Paropsisterna remota'' Paropsisterna stygiavittataMtLivingstoneDec15.jpg, ''Paropsisterna stygia trivittata'' Paropsisterna variicollisMoondarra.jpg, '' Paropsisterna variicollis''

References

External links

Image gallery of ''Paropsisterna''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2533536, from2=Q2430238 Chrysomelidae genera Chrysomelinae Beetles of Australia Taxa named by Victor Motschulsky