''Paropsisterna'' is a genus of

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

s indigenous to

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (abbreviated PNG; , ; tpi, Papua Niugini; ho, Papua Niu Gini), officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea ( tpi, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini; ho, Independen Stet bilong Papua Niu Gini), is a country i ...

and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. There are over 120 species, many with bright

aposematic Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or ...

colours, and many feeding on ''

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as euca ...

'' leaves. The genus was described by

Victor Motschulsky Victor Ivanovich Motschulsky (sometimes Victor von Motschulsky, russian: link=no, Виктор Иванович Мочульский, 11 April 1810, in St. Petersburg – 5 June 1871, in Simferopol) was a Russian entomologist mainly interested in ...

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 ea ...

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 The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

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 speci ...

, including ''

Acmena ''Acmena'' was formerly the name of a genus of shrubs and trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. The genus was first formally described in 1828 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in his ''Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis''. The spec ...

'', ''

Agonis ''Agonis'' is a genus in the plant family Myrtaceae. All are endemic (ecology), endemic to Western Australia, growing near the coast in the Southwest Australia, south west. Description Only one, ''Agonis flexuosa'', grows to tree size; the o ...

'', ''

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 endemic to Australasia. They are shrubs, sometimes small trees and usually have small, crowded, rather aromatic leaves. The flowers are similar to those of plants in the genus '' Lep ...

'', ''

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 or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They range in size ...

''. There are also records from ''

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

'' (which is in family

Fabaceae The Fabaceae or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomenc ...

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

Notable species

* ''

Paropsisterna agricola ''Paropsisterna agricola'' or southern eucalyptus leaf beetle, is a small hemispherical leaf beetle. They can vary from golden to grey. They have some black markings on the pronotum The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the ...

'' a pest on ''

Eucalyptus globulus ''Eucalyptus globulus'', commonly known as southern blue gum or blue gum, is a species of tall, evergreen tree endemic to southeastern Australia. This ''Eucalyptus'' species has mostly smooth bark, juvenile leaves that are whitish and waxy on ...

'', '' E. delegatensis'' and '' E. dalrympleana'' *''

Paropsisterna bimaculata ''Paropsisterna bimaculata'' is a beetle commonly called a leaf beetle in the subfamily Chrysomelinae The Chrysomelinae are a subfamily of leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae), commonly known as broad-bodied leaf beetles or broad-shouldered leaf beet ...

'' a pest on ''

Eucalyptus regnans ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including ''Corymbia'', they are commonly known as eucal ...

'', '' 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 ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

, introduced to the

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

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 Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. * '' 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, Myrtaceae. It grows as a spreading tree up to tall, with its trunk cov ...

'' in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. * '' 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) *''

'' (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 ''Paropsisterna beata'', commonly known as the blessed leaf beetle, is a species of leaf beetle. It occurs in all states of Australia except Tasmania. Description ''Paropsisterna beata'' is a mostly black beetle except for an orange head, orang ...

'' (Newman, 1842) *''

'' (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 ''Paropsisterna'' is a genus of leaf beetles indigenous to Papua New Guinea and Australia. There are over 120 species, many with bright aposematic colours, and many feeding on ''Eucalyptus'' leaves. The genus was described by Victor Motschulsky i ...

'' (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 ''Paropsisterna'' is a genus of leaf beetles indigenous to Papua New Guinea and Australia. There are over 120 species, many with bright aposematic colours, and many feeding on ''Eucalyptus'' leaves. The genus was described by Victor Motschulsky i ...

'' (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